Anorexia Nervosa — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ

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EasyEating DisordersAnorexia NervosaMRCPsych Paper B

A 17-year-old girl with anorexia nervosa is receiving specialist outpatient treatment. According to NICE NG69, which psychological treatment should be considered first?

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Correct answer: D — Anorexia-nervosa-focused family therapy (FT-AN)

The correct answer is D. NICE recommends considering anorexia-nervosa-focused family therapy (FT-AN) first for children and young people with anorexia nervosa. It may be delivered as single-family therapy or through a combination of single- and multi-family therapy, with family members supporting nutritional recovery without blame. Individual CBT-ED and adolescent-focused psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa are recognised alternatives, but NICE places them after FT-AN when family therapy is unacceptable, contraindicated or ineffective. Interpersonal psychotherapy and motivational interviewing are not recommended first-line treatments for adolescent anorexia nervosa.

Reference: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Eating disorders: recognition and treatment (NG69), recommendations 1.3.10 and 1.3.15. Published 2017; updated 2020. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng69/chapter/recommendations