ABSTRACT
The NICE guidelines suggested that the needs of the family and other carers should be considered in addition to those of the individual with anorexia nervosa. The needs of the families of people with binge eating forms of disorders were not considered. The focus of this chapter, therefore, is mainly on the carers of individuals with anorexia nervosa, although we do highlight some of the issues that are pertinent to the wider spectrum of people with eating disorders. The service at the Maudsley gives all carers access to a variety of sources of information. The carers’ section of our website www.eatingresearch.com is an up-to-date source of information. We have a book specifically written for carers (Treasure et al. 2007b) and we are actively researching the use of a web-based programme and DVDs which offer more skills-based information. We also give carers the opportunity to join carers’ workshops (Chapter 11). Some carers are offered individual work (Chapter 12). This specific work for carers runs in parallel to other interventions.
