TRANSFORMATIONAL STORIES
THE RCH EATING DISORDER PROGRAM.
A swift road to recovery
Until recently, recovery for adolescent
Before the introduction of family based therapy,
sufferers of eating disorders was commonly a
staff working the wards had become accustomed
seven year journey. Since the establishment
to seeing many eating disorder patients suffer
of The RCH Eating Disorder Program in 2008
multiple relapses requiring readmission to hospital.
– a multidisciplinary collaboration between
The outcomes delivered by the new program are
The Royal Children’s Hospital’s Centre for
impressive – 98% of adolescents completing a
Adolescent Health and the Mental Health
course of family based therapy are weight-restored
program – the road to recovery has been
after six months and readmission is now
reduced to approximately six months.
uncommon. Staff within the RCH Eating Disorder Program are also committed to a research agenda,
The Centre for Adolescent Health now manages
through Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, that
the largest eating disorder program for children and
seeks to understand how to improve the delivery of
adolescents with severe eating disorders in Victoria.
family based treatment and explore more intensive
It has been able to achieve this extraordinary
supports for those with the most severe disorders.
reduction in recovery time through the introduction of the family based therapy model of care, which
Family based therapy is the only evidence-based
was pioneered at the Maudsley Hospital, London.
therapy that has achieved such success in treating anorexia nervosa in adolescents. Thanks to the
Central to this therapy is the belief that the family
pioneering work of the Centre for Adolescent
of the adolescent is the most valuable resource
Health and the Mental Health program, the RCH
in their child’s recovery. Departing from previous
Eating Disorder Program is now recognised as
approaches that unwittingly made parents feel
best practice in the treatment of eating disorders.
responsible for the eating disorder, this new
Increasingly, other clinics and hospitals across
approach reappoints them as their child’s best ally.
Australia are adopting the model.
Supported by a clinical psychologist, parents are taught how to manage their child’s food intake and
As the clinic’s other Clinical Nurse Consultant Renae
challenge destructive eating behaviours – effectively
Wall enthuses, ‘Seeing young people manage
creating a hospital in the home.
their anorexia and emerge at the end happier and healthier, engaging in their lives – that’s the really
Clinical Nurse Consultant for Eating Disorders,
rewarding part’.
Stephanie Campbell, who has been with the project
38
since its inception, explains: ‘The psychologist
Navigating the difficult terrain of eating disorders
works with the parents to empower them so
is challenging for patients, their families and health
that they’re doing the treatment. The idea is that
care providers. But with a destination clearly in sight,
they’re the clinicians, so that when they leave us
this innovative treatment isn’t only restoring weight
after six months, they’ve still got the tools to do it
– it’s also restoring hope to the lives of adolescents
themselves.’
and their families.
The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation, Melbourne