Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and trauma-informed care in higher levels of care for eating disorders

Rienecke, R. D., Blalock, D. V., Duffy, A., Manwaring, J., Le Grange, D., Johnson, C., Mehler, P. S., & McClanahan, S. F. (2021). Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and trauma-informed care in higher levels of care for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54, 627-632. 

This study examined the prevalence and trajectory of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among patients with eating disorders (EDs) at ERC.  Participants were 613 adults diagnosed with EDs receiving treatment at inpatient, residential, or partial hospitalization levels of care.  Participants completed the PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL-5) at admission and discharge.  Over half of patients scored above the cutoff of 33 on the PCL-5 at admission, suggestive of PTSD symptoms characteristic of a formal PTSD diagnosis.  Over the course of treatment, the average PCL-5 score significantly decreased for every ED diagnosis, and there was a significant reduction in the proportion of patients above the PCL-5 cutoff score at discharge.  Findings suggest that PTSD symptoms are prevalent among patients with EDs seeking higher levels of care, and that despite not offering evidence-based trauma-specific interventions, PTSD symptoms decreased over the course of treatment.