Massachusetts General Hospital | Psychiatry

About Our Program

The MGH Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program provides information and help finding treatment for adult patients seeking assistance for an eating disorder .

Because there is a broad range of problems for which patients seek care in our program, the treatment plan for each patient is developed with their particular needs in mind. Our collective experience has taught us that patients arrive at their eating disorder by many different pathways. Individuals and their families seek evaluation and care at different moments along the course of the disorder, and need individualized assessment and treatment plans. Whereas patients who seek care with us do need to identify and work toward appropriate health goals, we understand that health priorities and readiness to meet these challenges will vary tremendously from patient to patient.

Our flexible and individualized approach works well for many of our patients who are faced with medical illness or other emotional problems that require close clinical attention along with their eating disorder.
Our approach includes:

• Outpatient treatment
• Diagnostic evaluation and treatment planning
• Psychotherapy
• Pharmacotherapy
• Consultation

Outpatient evaluation and management: In order to provide optimal care for our patients, we deliver mental health treatment within a multi-disciplinary team model. We have found that patient interests are best served when primary care and mental health clinicians practice within the same hospital system and can communicate easily with one another about treatment progress and planning. Our experience has taught us that some patients will benefit from either a partial hospitalization program or inpatient care to address urgent medical and nutritional issues prior to outpatient care in our program in order to achieve their therapeutic goals. We are happy to provide feedback about the recommended clinical setting for initiating care in the pre-appointment screening.

We are now accepting patients for assessment and evaluation who have established their primary care at Mass. General Hospital. Please contact David Mrakovich or one of his associates at 617-724-7792 to arrange for an appointment.

Diagnostic evaluation and treatment planning: One to two session diagnostic evaluation with patients who are seeking to begin treatment for an eating disorder or related concerns. A comprehensive diagnostic evaluation will review previous care received for the eating disorder, identify immediate and long term medical concerns, and formulate a treatment plan to address the eating disorder symptoms as well as the factors that may have led to it. Patients will receive immediate feedback as to what treatment plan is recommended and available.

• MGH Neuroendocrine Unit
• MGH Weight Center
• MGH Body Dysmorphic Disorders Unit
• MGH Division of Adolescent Medicine

Psychotherapy: We offer individual and group psychotherapy for eating disorders. Individual psychotherapy includes options for both cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy. Choice between these treatment modalities is best made in consideration of a patient’s personal strengths, preferences, and treatment goals.

Family psychotherapy is offered as an adjunct to ongoing individual psychotherapy via referral.

Pharmacotherapy: Medication can be very helpful in management some eating disorders as well as other symptoms such as anxiety and depression that accompany these illnesses. We offer psychopharmacologic treatment of eating disorders, generally as an adjunct to ongoing psychotherapy within the MGH Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program.

Consultation: We offer a one to two session consultation with patients already in treatment for an eating disorder who, along with their current treatment team, are seeking to optimize their treatment plan. A consultation will review progress and difficulties encountered in the current treatment situation as well as previous care received for the eating disorder. It will also identify immediate and long term medical concerns and formulate recommendations for amending or continuing the current treatment plan.

A one hour team clinician-to-clinician consultation is available as a pro bono service to clinicians managing challenging cases within the metro-Boston community. Clinicians are asked to present their case at a clinical case conference and are provided with team feedback.

These services are available to patients and clinical services outside of the Mass. General Hospital system, but referral information from the clinical team is required in order to make arrangements for either one. Referrals to specialty services: Our patients with an eating disorder often encounter medical problems and nutritional concerns that benefit from specialty care. We will work to identify appropriate clinical services and coordinate care.