Long‐term follow‐up study of low‐weight avoidant restrictive food intake disorder compared with childhood‐onset anorexia nervosa: Psychiatric and occupational outcome in 56 patients

OBJECTIVE: To compare long term outcome between childhood‐onset Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and low‐weight Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) in regard to psychiatric diagnoses, social and occupational functioning. METHOD: A consecutive series of 56 children originally treated for low‐weight restrictive eating disorder (ED) were followed up after a mean of 15.9 years. ARFID‐diagnoses were assigned retrospectively. RESULTS: Thirty‐seven patients originally had AN and 19 patients were diagnosed retrospectively with ARFID. At follow‐up, in the AN‐group 21.6% had a current ED, 24.3% had another psychiatric diagnosis, and 54.1% did not have any psychiatric diagnosis. In the ARFID‐group, 26.3% had a current ED, 26.3% had another psychiatric diagnosis, and 47.4% had no psychiatric diagnosis. In the ARFID‐group ED diagnoses at follow‐up were all ARFID, whereas the AN‐group showed heterogeneity. Morgan Russell Outcome Assessment Schedule indicated similar outcome in the AN‐ and ARFID‐group. Occupational functioning did not differ significantly between the AN‐ and ARFID‐group. DISCUSSION: The AN‐group showed high rate of ED at follow up. The ARFID‐group had a similar outcome to AN. In the ARFID‐group, all ED‐cases at follow up had ARFID, possibly indicating symptomatic stability. Low‐weight ARFID should be treated as seriously as childhood onset AN.