Psych CASC / OSCE · General adult psychiatry — feeding and eating disorders
Explain ARFID and graded food exposure to a parent — CASC communication station
MRCPsych/FRANZCP-style communication station: explain ARFID vs AN, medical risk, graded exposure, adapted family work, and limits of medication to a carer.
On this page
Study tools
Target exams
FRANZCPMRCPsychABPNMD-DNB
Prompt
Parent of a 13-year-old recently assessed with ARFID (sensory selectivity plus fear of choking after a school canteen incident) wants a clear explanation of how this differs from anorexia nervosa, why medical checks matter even if the child 'isn't trying to be thin,' what CBT-AR and family involvement look like, and whether a medication will fix picky eating.
Station brief
Format. Communication station, approximately 7–10 minutes active time after reading. You are the psychiatry registrar in a child and adolescent / eating disorders clinic. [5]
Candidate instructions. Explain ARFID in plain language, how it differs from anorexia nervosa, why medical monitoring still matters, what graded exposure and family-supported renourishment involve, and give a balanced answer on medication. Check understanding and invite questions. The examiner plays the parent. [1][2][3]
References5ShowHide
- [1]Thomas JJ, Becker KR, Kuhnle MC, et al. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: Feasibility, acceptability, and proof-of-concept for children and adolescents Int J Eat Disord, 2020.PMID 32776570
- [2]Lock J, Robinson A, Sadeh-Sharvit S, et al. Applying family-based treatment (FBT) to three clinical presentations of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder Int J Eat Disord, 2019.PMID 30578635
- [3]Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Medical Management of Restrictive Eating Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults J Adolesc Health, 2022.PMID 36058805
- [4]Thomas JJ, Lawson EA, Micali N, et al. Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: a Three-Dimensional Model of Neurobiology with Implications for Etiology and Treatment Curr Psychiatry Rep, 2017.PMID 28714048
- [5]Crone C, Fochtmann LJ, Attia E, et al. The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Eating Disorders Am J Psychiatry, 2023.PMID 36722117