Duration of untreated illness and predictors of late treatment initiation in anorexia nervosa

Conclusion A substantial time passes between the onset of the disorder and the beginning of recommended treatment in AN patients due to external (e.g. health insurance status) and internal (lack of insight into the disorder) reasons. Public health interventions are needed and should be optimised to be specific to target groups (e.g. according to age, parents and/or peers) to improve awareness of AN, facilitate insight into the disorder, increase knowledge about treatment options and the motivation to initiate treatment as well as to optimize patient flow into specialist care.
Source: Journal of Public Health - Category: Health Management Source Type: research