The following information refers to one of two ongoing studies in Christchurch, New Zealand which include Interpersonal Psychotherapy as a treatment. The department maintains a strong interest in IPT and Dr Sue Luty, an investigator, therapist and supervisor on both these projects and future planned projects, has developed considerable expertise in IPT. She is involved in teaching the theoretical background and basics of IPT for the past four years on postgraduate courses within the department. In October of this year she ran the first 'Introduction to IPT' workshop in conjunction with the RANZCP New Zealand conference. It is anticipated that this workshop will happen on a yearly basis and a more advanced workshop is similarly being developed.
The Anorexia Treatment Programme is a clinical trial comparing different forms of psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa. The programme is funded by the Health Research Council and is being conducted in the Department's Clinical Research Unit at Terrace House.
The aim of the research programme is to understand more about outpatient treatments for anorexia. Although anorexia is a problem with a long history about which much has been written, there is little systematic research comparing different forms of treatment, that can guide the selection of treatment for an individual.
Three forms of psychotherapy are compared in the programme. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy aims to identify cues, particularly unhelpful thoughts or beliefs, that trigger or maintain the restrictive eating and other eating disorder behaviours, such as self-induced vomiting, abusing laxatives, or over-exercising. Specialist Supportive Care involves both supportive counselling and nutritional education and advice to help the individual gradually resume normal eating.
The third form of therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) is described elsewhere in this web site. In the Anorexia Treatment Programme, IPT has been adapted for treating anorexia nervosa and related problems involving restrictive eating and weight loss. While some individual practitioners have used IPT in treating anorexia nervosa, this is a novel application of IPT in a treatment trial of anorexia nervosa. Many of the factors that have been identified as important in the development of anorexia nervosa are readily conceptualised within four IPT 'problem areas' of grief, interpersonal disputes, interpersonal deficits, and role transitions.
At the London International Conference on Eating Disorders held in April last year three of the investigators from the Anorexia Treatment Programme, Dr Jan McKenzie, Jenny Jordan and Gini McIntosh presented a paper describing this new application of IPT to anorexia nervosa. The Paper was well attended, and there was interest in both the application of IPT in anorexia nervosa and in the clinical trial.
Gini, Jenny and Dr Sue Luty are the therapists for the programme. Others involved are Professor Peter Joyce, Dr Jan McKenzie and Dr Frances Carter as investigators and supervisors of the psychotherapy, and Andrea Bartram as research co-ordinator.
In Christchurch there has been much interest in the Anorexia Treatment Programme. There are still a number of places for individuals who currently have anorexia nervosa. The entry criteria for the programme are:
Low weight - Body Mass Index (BMI, weight/height2) < 19. For example, for a woman of average height, 5'5" or 1.64m, a weight below 50 kgs corresponds to a BMI below 19. Low weight is brought about by restricting food intake, over-exercising, purging after eating, or other specific means
Fear of weight gain
Disturbance in one's body experience; for example, feeling fat when others believe you to be too thin; feeling unworried about low weight
May be bingeing or purging as well as having times of restrictive eating
May have menstrual irregularities
If an individual is stable on a constant dose of an antidepressant (a minimum of three months on the same dose without change in the eating disorder symptoms) she may be included in the programme.
Inquiries about the Anorexia Treatment Programme may be made by contacting Andrea Bartram at the