Physicians typically diagnose eating disorders by interviewing patients and their families or friends. The interview includes a family, personal, and medical history, and a history of the eating disorder. A physical examination and laboratory studies to eliminate non-psychiatric reasons for disordered eating or to assess medical risks may be ordered.
Treatment for eating disorders focuses on normalizing eating behavior and interrupting unhealthy behavioral cycles of starving, binge eating, vomiting, and excessive exercising. For patients who are underweight, treatment also involves nutritional rehabilitation and weight gain to a low-normal body weight. Although many people can be treated in an outpatient setting, those who do not improve after several weeks of treatment, or who are severely underweight, should enter an inpatient specialty program for eating disorders.
Most inpatient programs employ a combination of psychotherapy, education, and behavioral modification techniques. Medication is sometimes helpful in treating the eating disorder or any other associated psychiatric or medical conditions such as depression or drug abuse.
OUTPATIENT AND CONSULTATION CLINIC
The Outpatient and Consultation Clinic provides consultation services, comprehensive clinical evaluation, individual and family psychotherapy, group therapy, and educational outreach programs to schools, the community, and other health-care professionals. For more information on how to schedule an appointment, please contact Linda Ryan by email at lryan@jhmi.edu or call (410) 955-3863.
PARTIAL HOSPITALIZATION PROGRAM (DAY HOSPITAL)
For patients requiring more intensive treatment, the partial hospitalization program provides a flexible schedule of up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week. This program includes supervised meals, education about eating disorders, and daily rounds with the treatment team.
The supportive program environment includes intensive group therapy, with a minimum of three groups per day. Meals are monitored by nursing staff to help patients break habits related to their eating disorder, including binge eating and vomiting or food refusal. As patients acquire more control over healthy eating, Hopkins staff supervises and guides them in independent eating and food selection, including meal preparation and restaurant outings.
Patients live at home or in supervised program-affiliated housing. Participation in the partial hospitalization program is reduced as patients normalize their eating behaviors and their weight.
The inpatient medical and nursing team staffs the partial hospitalization program, ensuring continuity of care and treatment philosophy. Therapy is intensive, practical and aimed at developing increased control over normal eating and weight and body image. Therapy also addresses psychological issues that could lead to relapse.
Services include:
- Daily treatment planning, including psychiatric physician evaluation and team rounds
- Interpersonal psychotherapy groups
- Meal planning and preparation groups, including grocery shopping and restaurant outings
- Nutrition and psychoeducation groups
- Body-image and self-esteem groups
- Assertiveness and communication skills groups
- Exercise, stress and relaxation training
- Family psychoeducation, family meals, and family issues groups
- Family therapy
Contact the admissions coordinator for the partial hospitalization program at 410- 955-7896.
INPATIENT PROGRAM
The inpatient program, which offers the most intensive level of care, is combined with the partial hospitalization program. Patients progress from inpatient care to the partial hospitalization program as soon as they are able. Just like the partial hospitalization program, inpatient treatment goals include recovering healthy eating habits and normal weight. A team of psychiatrists and consulting physicians addresses medical and psychiatric complications of eating disorders. Treatment may include medication of depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder or diagnostic tests for medical conditions that may complicate an eating disorder.
Contact the admissions coordinator for the inpatient program at 410-955-7896 for more information.
ARRANGING FOR TREATMENT
To arrange admission to either the Inpatient or Partial Hospitalization Programs, please call the Eating Disorders Admission Coordinator at 410-502-5467. For additional information about coordinating a psychiatric inpatient admission at Johns Hopkins Hospital, please visit the Psychiatry Admissions page or e-mail Dr. Guarda at aguarda@jhmi.edu.
To make an appointment in the Outpatient and Consultation Clinic, please call the Eating Disorders Outpatient Clinic at 410-955-3863.
For emergent physician-to-physician referral after hours or on weekends, please call the Hopkins Access Line at 800-765-JHHS .
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