Defining recovery from anorexia nervosa: a Delphi study to determine expert practitioners’ views

Abstract

There is no consensus in the field of eating disorders as to how recovery from anorexia nervosa (AN) should be best defined. Definitions of recovery vary vastly between studies. This has been identified as a major barrier in the field. The aim of the current article was to determine whether leading experts could reach consensus on how to define recovery from AN and the best method/s for assessing this. This study used the Delphi technique, a method designed for reaching agreement on an issue. Participants were 21 international experts who completed 3 rounds of iterative questionnaires. Participants reached consensus on the need for a comprehensive definition of recovery, which includes physical, behavioural, and psychological indicators. There was a lack of consensus on specifying a body mass index cut-off or specific time frame required for recovery. The importance of quality of life in measuring and defining recovery was also emphasised. These findings add to a growing body of literature that suggests that recovery is more than the restoration of weight. While there were more areas of agreement than disagreement, results suggest that aspects of recovery from AN, such as universal weight criteria, remain difficult to define. Recommendations for defining and measuring recovery are proposed.

Keywords:

• anorexia nervosa
• recovery
• classification