What happens to eating disorder (ED) patients after specialized treatment? Examining the course of ED psychopathology and well-being along with potential predictors

There is no general agreement on definitions of recovery and relapse in EDs, and many studies focus only on physical and/or behavioral aspects of the disorder, thereby neglecting psychological aspects. Consequently, clear information about the course of mental health of ED patients after treatment is lacking. For this reason, this study investigated two components of mental health, by exploring the course of both ED psychopathology and well-being within the first year after treatment in a sample of ED patients, and examining whether there are differences between patients who were considered as recovered at the end of treatment (i.e. scoring comparable to the general population) and those who were not recovered. Additionally, differences in the course of ED psychopathology and well-being between the different types of EDs were analyzed, and the extent to which these two variables were predicted by characteristics at the end of treatment was explored.