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P J Hay

Publications and source records attributed to P J Hay.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q): norms for young adult women.

In order to establish norms for the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) among young adult women, the questionnaire was administered to a large general population sample of women aged 18-42 yr in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) region of Australia. Normative data were derived for EDE-Q subscales and for the occurrence of specific eating disorder behaviours, for each of five age bands (18-22, 23-27, 28-32, 33-37, 38-42 yr). Mean scores (SDs) for the Restraint, Eating Concern, Weight Concern and Shape Concern subscales for the total sample (n = 5,255) were, respectively, 1.30 (1.40), 0.76 (1.06), 1.79 (1.51) and 2.23 (1.65). The mean global score was 1.52 (1.25). The regular occurrence of objective and subjective overeating episodes was reported by 10.6% and 12.7% of participants, respectively. The regular use of self-induced vomiting, laxative misuse, and use of diuretics, was reported by 1.4%, 1.0%, and 0.3%, of participants, respectively, while 2.2% of participants reported regularly using diet pills. "Extreme dietary restraint" and "excessive exercise" were reported by 3.4% and 4.9% of participants, respectively. Both attitudinal and behavioural features of eating disorder psychopathology tended to decrease with increasing age. These data will inform researchers intending to use the EDE-Q in epidemiological studies.

Adolescent↗

Assessing quality of life in eating disorder patients.

OBJECTIVE: To examine quality of life among subgroups of eating disorder patients. METHOD: Self-report questionnaires which included two quality of life measures were completed by 87 individuals referred for treatment to the Australian Capital Territory Eating Disorders Day Program. Health-related quality of life, as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short Form Mental Component Summary scale, and subjective quality of life, as measured by subscales of the World Health Organization Brief Quality of Life Assessment Scale (WHOQOL-BREF), were compared among individuals who received the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa purging subtype (n = 15), anorexia nervosa restricting subtype (n = 19), bulimia nervosa (n = 40) and binge eating disorder (n = 10), and among a general population sample of young adult women employed as a control group (n = 495). RESULTS: Eating disorder patients, when considered together, showed marked impairment in both health-related and subjective quality of life relative to normal control subjects. However, in both domains, restricting anorexia nervosa patients reported significantly better quality of life than other patient groups, after controlling for levels of general psychological distress. Scores on the Social Relationships subscale of the WHOQOL-BREF among individuals in this subgroup were similar to those of normal control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Reliance on any one instrument is likely to be misleading in assessing the quality of life of eating disorder patients. Careful consideration needs to be given to the assessment of restricting anorexia nervosa patients in particular.

Australian Capital Territory↗

Psychotherapy for bulimia nervosa and binging.

BACKGROUND: Bulimia nervosa and related syndromes such as binge eating disorder are common in young Western women. A specific manual-based form of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) has been developed for the treatment of bulimia nervosa (CBT-BN). Other psychotherapies, some from a different theoretical framework, and some modifications of CBT are also used. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of CBT and CBT-BN and compare them with other psychotherapies in the treatment of adults with bulimia nervosa or related syndromes of recurrent binge eating. SEARCH STRATEGY: A handsearch of The International Journal of Eating Disorders since its first issue; database searches of MEDLINE, EXTRAMED, EMBASE, PsycInfo, CURRENT CONTENTS, LILACS, SCISEARCH, CENTRAL and the The Cochrane Collaboration Depression, Anxiety & Neurosis Controlled Trials Register; citation list searching and personal approaches to authors were used. SELECTION CRITERIA: All studies that have tested any form of psychotherapy for adults with non-purging bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and/or other types of eating disorders of a bulimic type (eating disorder, not otherwise specified, or EDNOS), and which applied a randomised controlled and standardised outcome methodology. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were analysed using the Review Manager software program. Relative risks were calculated for binary outcome data. Standardized mean differences were calculated for continuous variable outcome data. A fixed effects model was used to analyse the data. Sensitivity analyses of a number of measures of trial quality were conducted. Data were not reported in such a way to permit subgroup analyses, but the effects of treatment on depressive symptoms, psychosocial and/or interpersonal functioning, general psychiatric symptoms and weight were examined where possible. Funnel plots were drawn to investigate the presence of publication bias. MAIN RESULTS: The review supported the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy (CBT) and particularly CBT-BN in the treatment of people with bulimia nervosa and also (but less strongly due to the small number of trials) related eating disorder syndromes. CBT was also shown to be effective in group settings. Other psychotherapies were also efficacious, particularly interpersonal psychotherapy in the longer-term. Self-help approaches that used highly structured CBT treatment manuals, were promising albeit with more modest results generally, and their evaluation in bulimia nervosa merits further research. Exposure and Response Prevention did not appear to enhance the efficacy of CBT.Psychotherapy alone is unlikely to reduce or change body weight in people with bulimia nervosa or similar eating disorders. REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: There is a small body of evidence for the efficacy of cognitive-behaviour therapy in bulimia nervosa and similar syndromes, but the quality of trials is very variable and sample sizes are often small. More trials of CBT are needed, particularly for binge eating disorder and other EDNOS syndromes. Trials evaluating other psychotherapies and less intensive psychotherapies should also be conducted.

Adult↗

Beliefs of women concerning the severity and prevalence of bulimia nervosa.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined attitudes towards eating-disordered behaviour among women in the general population. METHODS: A vignette describing a fictional person meeting diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa (BN) was presented to a community sample of women aged 18-45. Respondents (n = 208) were asked a series of questions concerning the severity and prevalence of the problem described. RESULTS: Most respondents viewed BN as a distressing condition whose sufferers are deserving of sympathy. However, more than one-third of respondents had at some stage believed that it 'might not be too bad' to be like the person described in the vignette. Most respondents believed that the prevalence of the problem described among women in the community was likely to be between 10 % and 30 % (48.6%) or between 30% and 50 % (23.1 %). Individuals with a clinically significant eating disorder (n = 13, 6.3%) were more likely to perceive the symptoms of BN as being acceptable, and its prevalence higher, than individuals with no eating disorder diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Information concerning the medical and psychological sequelae of BN and other eating disorders might usefully be incorporated in prevention programmes. Prospective community-based research is required to elucidate the nature of the relationship between perceived acceptability of eating disorder symptoms and actual eating disorder psychopathology. Extension of the present research to examine the views of women in other cultures would also be of interest.

Adolescent↗

Mode of delivery, but not questionnaire length, affected response in an epidemiological study of eating-disordered behavior.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The effects of questionnaire length and mode of delivery on response rates were examined in an epidemiological study of eating-disordered behavior. METHODS: Short (8 pages) and long (14 pages) questionnaires were posted or hand-delivered to a community sample of 802 women. Nonrespondents who received the first questionnaire by hand delivery received a reminder letter and replacement questionnaire by post; those who received the initial questionnaire by post were further randomized to receive the first reminder by hand delivery or by post, in short or long form. A second reminder letter and questionnaire (in short or long form) were posted to all remaining nonrespondents. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 52.9%. This is a conservative estimate of true response, because in a substantial proportion of cases (12.2%) individuals were no longer resident at the listed address. There was a significant effect of mode of delivery on response, favoring hand delivery, at both the initial mailout and first reminder. There was no effect of questionnaire length on response to the initial mailout, although overall response was significantly higher for the longer form. It was estimated that an overall response of 58.0% would have been achieved had first reminders been hand-delivered to all nonrespondents who received the initial mailout by post. CONCLUSIONS: Delivery of questionnaires by hand may be an effective way to increase response rates in epidemiological research, but little is to be gained by reducing questionnaire length.

Adult↗

Validity of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) in screening for eating disorders in community samples.

In order to examine the concurrent and criterion validity of the questionnaire version of the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE-Q), self-report and interview formats were administered to a community sample of women aged 18-45 (n = 208). Correlations between EDE-Q and EDE subscales ranged from 0.68 for Eating Concern to 0.78 for Shape Concern. Scores on the EDE-Q were significantly higher than those of the EDE for all subscales, with the mean difference ranging from 0.25 for Restraint to 0.85 for Shape Concern. Frequency of both objective bulimic episodes (OBEs) and subjective bulimic episodes (SBEs) was significantly correlated between measures. Chance-corrected agreement between EDE-Q and EDE ratings of the presence of OBEs was fair, while that for SBEs was poor. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, based on a sample of 13 cases, indicated that a score of 2.3 on the global scale of the EDE-Q in conjunction with the occurrence of any OBEs and/or use of exercise as a means of weight control, yielded optimal validity coefficients (sensitivity = 0.83, specificity = 0.96, positive predictive value = 0.56). A stepwise discriminant function analysis yielded eight EDE-Q items which best distinguished cases from non-cases, including frequency of OBEs, use of exercise as a means of weight control, use of self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives and guilt about eating. The EDE-Q has good concurrent validity and acceptable criterion validity. The measure appears well-suited to use in prospective epidemiological studies.

Adolescent↗

The 'expert' in problem-based and case-based learning: necessary or not?

BACKGROUND: Problem-based learning (PBL) and other small-group teaching methods which incorporate principles of adult learning, are exciting innovations in medical education. In the application of these methods to medical curricula many schools have introduced non-expert tutors. However, research evaluating the effectiveness of non-expert lead teaching has been inconclusive. AIM: The present study aim was to compare the outcome of teaching in small groups facilitated by either an 'expert' or a 'non-expert' tutor, in a single topic area. METHOD: Fourth-year medical students were allocated randomly to teaching of eating disorders either by a non-expert or an expert tutor. Outcomes were evaluated by (i) a knowledge test, and (ii) self-report ratings by tutors and students of their learning methods and other qualities. RESULTS: The study found that while the non-expert tutor was rated more highly for her group management skills, and she also rated her students more highly in the area of oral communication, students who were taught by the expert scored higher in the end-of-course test in the topic area. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that caution should be exercised, and the need for more research before widespread adoption of teaching by non-expert tutors.

Education, Medical↗

Psychotherapy for bulimia nervosa and binging.

OBJECTIVES: The review aims to evaluate the psychotherapeutic treatments for those with binge eating syndromes, that have been tested in randomised controlled trials. Specifically, cognitive-behavioural(CBT) therapy is compared with waiting list or a non-treatment group, any other psychotherapy, CBT in a "pure self-help" form and CBT augmented by exposure and response therapy. As well, the reveiw aims to evaluate the evidence for the efficacy of other psychotherapies when compared to a no treatment control group and to evaluate the evidence for the efficacy of other psychotherapies when compared to a 'placebo' therapy. SEARCH STRATEGY: Handsearch of The International Journal of Eating Disorders since its first issue; database searches of MEDLINE, EXTRAMED, EMBASE, PSYCHLIT, CURRENT CONTENTS, LILACS, SCISEARCH, The Cochrane Collaboration Controlled Trials Register and the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group Database of Trials; citation list searching and personal approaches to authors communication are used. SELECTION CRITERIA: All studies that have tested any form of psychotherapy for adult patients with non-purging bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and/or EDNOS of a bulimic type, and which have applied a randomised controlled and standardized outcome methodology, are sought for the purpose of this review. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data are entered into a spreadsheet programme, and into the REVMAN analysis program. Relative risk analyses are conducted of binary outcome data. The relative risk analysis is used rather than the odds ratio as the outcome measures proposed are not measuring a rare event (such as death) and the total number of studies is small. Standardized mean difference analyses are conducted of continuous variable outcome data, as the continuous outcome measures are not consistent across studies. Sensitivity analyses are conducted of a number of measures of trial quality. Data were not reported in such a way to do subgroup analyses, but the effect of treatment on depressive symptoms, psychosocial and/or interpersonal functioning, general psychiatric symptoms and weight is examined where possible. Chi-square tests for homogeneity are done, @ 5% level of significance, using a fixed effects model. Funnel plots to evaluate presence of publication bias are completed and available in a text file upon request. MAIN RESULTS: To date, 1360 trials have been generated by searching and 58 trials have been evaluated in detail. Because of a relatively high number of exclusions (n=12) the trial inclusion criteria were broadened to include those with non-blinded outcome assessment, providing 20 trials for analyses. Because of incomplete published and available data, at best up to 10 studies had data available for any single analysis. The maximum number of total patients included in a single analysis is 396. The majority of studies (18) evaluate patients with bulimia nervosa of a purging type. CBT is superior to waiting list controls with respect to abstinence from binge eating (RR 0.64 CI.53-.78). CBT is not superior to other psychotherapies with respect to abstinence from binge eating (RR.79, CI.54-1.17). CBT in a full or less intensive form is not significantly superior to CBT in a pure self-help form. Augmentation of CBT with exposure therapy is not more effective than CBT alone. NonCBT-psychotherapies also have significantly greater abstinence rates in comparisons with wait-list controls, but there is a paucity of such studies (RR 0.67, CI.56-.81, n=3 studies). Funnel plots suggest a bias towards publication of positive outcome studies only. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is small body of evidence for the efficacy of cognitive-behaviour therapy in bulimia nervosa and similar syndromes, but the quality of trials is very variable (e.g. the majority, 12, are not blinded) and sample sizes are often very small. More trials are needed, particularly for binge eating disorder and other EDNOS syndromes, and evalu

Adult↗

Eating disorders revisited. II: Bulimia nervosa and related syndromes.

Bulimia nervosa and related syndromes are common, and occur in up to 5% of women who attend general practitioners. Young women in First World countries, particularly those who "diet", are at increased risk. Behaviours, such as binge eating and induced vomiting, are typically kept well hidden. Only a minority of those with these disorders present for treatment. General practitioners play a key role in primary and secondary prevention. Effective treatments include psychotherapies that focus on the patient's attitudes and relationships, not just the binge eating behaviour. About 50% of patients make a complete recovery, but the long term outcome is unknown.

Bulimia↗

Eating disorders revisited. I: Anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa is a serious psychiatric illness with a high morbidity and a significant lifetime mortality. Recurring themes in such patients centre on issues of self-worth and control. Treatment is difficult and prolonged, and may require hospitalisation. Therapy focuses on altering the misperceptions that patients have of themselves, both psychologically and physically. A multi-disciplinary team based in a specialised unit provides the treatment of choice, but if this is not available, a consistent, supportive relationship with an individual therapist familiar with the condition will be beneficial. Successful outcome should be based not simply on body weight but also on the resolution of anorexic thinking.

Anorexia Nervosa↗

Risk factors for binge eating disorder: a community-based, case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Many risk factors have been implicated for eating disorders, although little is known about those for binge eating disorder. METHODS: A community-based, case-control design was used to compare 52 women with binge eating disorder, 104 without an eating disorder, 102 with other psychiatric disorders, and 102 with bulimia nervosa. RESULTS: The main risk factors identified from the comparison of subjects with binge eating disorder with healthy control subjects were certain adverse childhood experiences, parental depression, vulnerability to obesity, and repeated exposure to negative comments about shape, weight, and eating. Compared with the subjects with other psychiatric disorders, those with binge eating disorder reported more childhood obesity and more exposure to negative comments about shape, weight, and eating. Certain childhood traits and pronounced vulnerability to obesity distinguished the subjects with bulimia nervosa from those with binge eating disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Binge eating disorder appears to be associated with exposure to risk factors for psychiatric disorder and for obesity. When compared with the wide range of risk factors for bulimia nervosa, the risk factors for binge eating disorder are weaker and more circumscribed. Pre-morbid perfectionism, negative self-evaluation, and vulnerability to obesity appear especially to characterize those in whom bulimia nervosa subsequently develops.

Adult↗

The classification of bulimic eating disorders: a community-based cluster analysis study.

There is controversy over how best to classify eating disorders in which there is recurrent binge eating. Many patients with recurrent binge eating do not meet diagnostic criteria for other of the two established eating disorders, anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. The present study was designed to derive an empirically based, and clinically meaningful, diagnostic scheme by identifying subgroups from among those with recurrent binge eating, testing the validity of these subgroups and comparing their predictive validity with that of the DSM-IV scheme. A general population sample of 250 young women with recurrent binge eating was recruited using a two-stage design. Four subgroups among the sample were identified using a Ward's cluster analysis. The first subgroup had either objective or subjective bulimic episodes and vomiting or laxative misuse; the second had objective bulimic episodes and low levels of vomiting or laxative misuse; the third had subjective bulimic episodes and low levels of vomiting or laxative misuse; and the fourth was heterogeneous in character. This cluster solution was robust to replication. It had good descriptive and predictive validity and partial construct validity. The results support the concept of bulimia nervosa and its division into purging and non-purging subtypes. They also suggest a possible new binge eating syndrome. Binge eating disorder, listed as an example of Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified within DSM-IV, did not emerge from the cluster analysis.

Adolescent↗

Casemix funding in psychiatry: some problems and common pitfalls.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of AN-DRG version 2.0 codings. Ninety-two separations, covering three of the most commonly occurring AN-DRG in psychiatry, were reviewed by a psychiatrist. The AN-DRG diagnosis was then compared to that given by morbidity coders. There was agreement for 69 (79 per cent) separations and disagreement for 18 (21 per cent) separations. Recoding of the 18 separations altered average length of stay data and the funding received. The high error rate of coding stimulated changes to the training of morbidity coders and registrars.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

The classification of recurrent overeating: the "binge eating disorder" proposal.

It has been suggested that a new diagnostic category be added to the section on eating disorders in DSM-IV. This new diagnosis has been termed binge eating disorder. In this article we argue that for two main reasons it would be a mistake to include binge eating disorder in DSM-IV: first, too little is known about binge eating and other related forms of recurrent overeating to justify its inclusion in DSM-IV; and second, its inclusion would be a source of diagnostic confusion. We argue that it is premature to crystallize this specific subgroup from amongst those who recurrently overeat and that to do so would impede the acquisition of knowledge rather than enhance it. We advocate a research strategy that involves studying broad samples of those with recurrent overeating rather than narrow ones.

Anorexia Nervosa↗

The present status of psychosurgery in Australia and New Zealand.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the extent and nature of psychosurgery currently being performed in Australia and New Zealand, and the present status of legislation regulating its practice. METHODS: Details of current legislation were obtained through inspection of statutes and direct communication with Departments of Health. All full and associate members of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia were surveyed by postal questionnaire. Ninety-eight neurosurgeons were surveyed, of whom 72 (73%) replied. RESULTS: In the 1980s a mean of nine (SD, 5.9) operations were performed per year; about two were performed per year in the late 1980s. Ninety per cent of these operations were performed at one centre in Sydney. The most common indications were severe and medically intractable depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Surgery is now exclusively stereotactic and involves the creation of lesions in the orbitomedial frontal or cingulate tracts or a combination of the two. The nature and type of surgery are comparable to those in other centres in the Western world. Regulatory legislation is in place in most, but not all, States in Australia and in New Zealand. CONCLUSIONS: Further developments of other forms of psychiatric treatments may make psychosurgery, in its present form and at its present level of validation, redundant. If it is to have a resurgence, it would have to be based on a much sounder theoretical premise, and a stronger demonstration of efficacy and predictability of effect.

Adult↗