@article{ref1,
title="Compulsory treatment in anorexia nervosa. Short-term benefits and long-term mortality",
journal="British journal of psychiatry",
year="1999",
author="Ramsay, R. and Ward, A. and Treasure, J. and Russell, G. F.",
volume="175",
number="",
pages="147-153",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Anorexia nervosa is a mental disorder with a high long-term mortality. Patients are ambivalent about treatment and often avoid it. Of necessity, compulsory treatment sometimes must be considered. A report from the Mental Health Act Commission has helped to reduce previous confusion. AIMS: To identify the premorbid and clinical features that predisposed to compulsory admissions, the short-term benefits of the treatment and the long-term mortality rates (derived from the National Register). <br><br>METHOD: Eighty-one compulsory patients were compared with 81 voluntary patients. <br><br>RESULTS: Predisposing factors to a compulsory admission were a history of childhood sexual or physical abuse or previous self-harm. Detained patients had more previous admissions. Detained patients gained as much weight during admission as voluntary patients, but took longer. More deaths among compulsory than voluntary patients (10/79 v. 2/78) were found 5.7 years (mean) after admission. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Compulsory treatment is effective in the short term. The higher long-term mortality in the detained patients is due to selection factors associated with an intractable illness.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0007-1250",
doi="10.1192/bjp.175.2.147",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.175.2.147"
}