Day treatment programmes for anorexia nervosa
Strong evidence – there is lots of high-quality evidence that some young people find this treatment option helpful.
Your professional might suggest that you try a ‘day treatment programme’, which are sometimes also called ‘intensive treatment programmes’ or ‘partial hospitalisation programmes’. You would still live at home during a day treatment programme, but you would have more intensive support than other types of therapy. Often, participating in these programmes involves attending for most of the day for five or six days each week. You would be offered a range of types of support in this time, including support around mealtimes, psychotherapy (such as types of family therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy) and possibly medication.
There is good evidence that this type of support can be helpful for young people with eating disorders. It is often used to try to avoid a young person needing to stay in hospital for their treatment.
Treatments outlined on these webpages may not be available in every local area. It’s important that you discuss with your GP or mental health professional the treatment options available to you. You can also search for services near you on our Youth Wellbeing Directory and find out more about referral processes here.