About the Program
Our Program
- Diagnosis:
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Comprehensive assessments conducted at UNC include complete psychiatric and medical evaluations. Specific assessments include eating and weight history and a complete nutritional evaluation. Treatment: The UNC Eating Disorders program offers evidence-based approaches to the treatment of eating disorders. Our focus is primarily cognitive-behavioral— exploring the unhealthy cognitions that lead to and maintain eating disordered behaviors and assisting patients with replacing them with healthier alternatives.
- Inpatient:
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The inpatient program involves 24-hour in-hospital care on the 5th floor of the North Carolina Neurosciences Hospital at UNC. This facility includes 10 beds that are dedicated solely to the treatment of eating disorders. The inpatient program is highly structured and follows the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy. All patients participate in the structured group program and also receive individualized treatment. All meals and snacks are supervised in a supportive environment by experienced members of our treatment team. Post-meal observations are designed to be anxiety-reducing. Components of the inpatient treatment include:
- Daily consultation with a psychiatrist
- Medical monitoring
- Group cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy
- Individual psychotherapy
- Individual nutritional counseling and meal planning
- Instruction in balanced nutrition
- Family therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Recreational therapy
- Relaxation training; gentle stretching, and reintegration of exercise
- In-house school accredited in the Chapel-Hill Carrboro School District
- Community meetings
- Spirituality groups
- Media awareness group
- Partial Hospitalization:
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The UNC Partial Hospitalization Program provides day-long, active structured programming from 8:15-6:30 Monday through Friday. This includes meals and snacks through the day. Partial programming is recommended for individuals who have successfully completed the inpatient program or whose treatment needs could best be met in a less structured environment than an inpatient program. Partial hospitalization programming includes many of the same features as inpatient treatment, but allows the patient greater freedom and more opportunity to face the challenges of the outside world. Outpatient Treatment: The UNC Outpatient Eating Disorders Clinic is the third component in our continuum of care. Outpatient treatment includes medication consultation, individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, family therapy and nutritional counseling. In addition, our staff can provide consultation with outpatient providers from other locales to assist with discharge planning and ongoing outpatient care. Outpatient therapy is intended for those individuals who are ready to overcome their eating disorder in their everyday life but need continued support from a multidisciplinary treatment team.
- Prevention:
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Early identification of eating disorders is a critical component of prevention. The UNC Eating Disorders program is working with the community to help primary care physicians, school counselors, dentists, coaches and other professionals to increase their awareness of eating disorders and help them make appropriate referrals for specialized care.
- Background:
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The Eating Disorders program at the University of North Carolina Hospitals offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, specialized approach to the treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and related conditions for individuals over the age of 13. Eating disorders are under detected and under treated across the United States. Eating disorders are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness.
- Significance:
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Prior to the opening of the UNC Eating Disorders program, there were no dedicated inpatient facilities for eating disorders in the tri-state area of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Patients and families were forced to seek treatment far from their homes. One of the goals of the multidisciplinary Eating Disorders Program at UNC is to provide comprehensive care including inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient services. Our association with an active eating disorders research program and participation in national and international professional organizations for eating disorders allow us to provide the most current and state-of-the-science interventions.
Our Mission
The UNC Eating Disorders Program serves the citizens of North Carolina, the nation, and as appropriate, the world community, in three interwoven missions: clinical care, education, and research. Our clinical mission integrates state-of-the-art biological, psychological, and social approaches in the care of our patients and their families, as it provides the foundation for our research and education missions.
We seek to provide outstanding education and training in eating disorders detection and care to medical students and other health profession trainees at UNC. We will offer the highest caliber continuing education on eating disorders for psychiatrists, psychologists, other health care providers as well as teachers and coaches across the State and beyond. Our research goals are to develop a deeper understanding of the causes of eating disorders, and to create more effective diagnostic, treatment, and prevention strategies for these disorders. This research encompasses basic molecular, cellular, and genetic approaches; biobehavioral and systems neurobiology; clinical investigations; and population-based outcomes research.
In all of the above activities, we shall adhere to the highest ethical standards as we work closely and collaboratively with many colleagues in order to enhance the recognition, treatment, and prevention of eating disorders. These collaborations will include the UNC system; the School of Medicine; other Schools and units within the University; the Department of Public Instruction; Private Schools; the North Carolina Division of Mental Health; Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse; Student Health; the Department of Athletics; the NCAA, North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) and other athletic organizations; the AHEC system; and other clinical practices throughout North Carolina. We also shall strive to contribute to national and international efforts to advance the creation and dissemination of knowledge regarding the etiologies and treatments of eating disorders.
- For more information:
- For information about the program, contact our intake coordinator at (919) 966-7012.
