Eating Disorders: Seeking Treatment - Treatment of Eating Disorders

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

TABLE 2--Criteria for Level of Care

Inpatient

Medically Unstable

• Unstable or depressed vital signs
• Laboratory findings presenting acute risk
• Complications due to coexisting medical problems such as diabetes

Psychiatrically Unstable

• Symptoms worsening at rapid rate
• Suicidal and unable to contract for safety

Residential

• Medically stable so does not require intensive medical interventions
• Psychiatrically impaired and unable to respond to partial hospital or outpatient treatment

Partial Hospital

Medically stable

• Eating disorder may impair functioning but not causing immediate acute risk
• Needs daily assessment of physiological and mental status

Psychiatrically stable

• Unable to function in normal social, educational, or vocational situations
• Daily binge eating, purging, severely restricted intake, or other pathogenic weight control techniques

Intensive Outpatient/Outpatient

Medically stable

• No longer needs daily medical monitoring

Psychiatrically stable

• Symptoms in sufficient control to be able to function in normal social, educational, or vocational situations and continue to make progress in eating disorder recovery.

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