Eating disorders in adolescents: review of treatment studies that include psychodynamically informed therapy.

In clinical practice, psychodynamic approaches represent an important component of the treatment for young people with eating disorders (EDs), even though the research literature remains modest regarding the most effective treatment for children, adolescents, or adults with an ED. Although there are very few clinical research studies of individual or family psychodynamic treatments of EDs, there is some evidence for efficacy from clinical trials. This article reviews studies of psychodynamically informed therapies for the treatment of EDs and discusses how the findings, although limited, suggest that further research into psychodynamic treatments of EDs in youth is warranted.