ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the role of the occupational therapist and activity therapy programs for patients with eating disorders. It presents an outline of evaluation methods with specific comments related to their implications for patients with diagnoses of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. The Eating Disorder Program at The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital consists of six beds housed within a 20-bed adult, intermediate-care, and inpatient hall. All patients including those with eating disorders are provided with activity therapy programming. It includes centralized hospital or hall-based groups and individual counseling to which they are referred for specific treatment objectives, leisure skill development groups which patients select themselves for one-month "courses", and open/optional activities. Selection of activity therapy groups is based on mutual acknowledgement of problems in areas of work, leisure, self-care, or identification and expression of feelings. Cognitive, motor, and social functioning in the aforementioned areas is evaluated in a variety of ways.
