Intensive Outpatient Treatment for Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that can have a serious impact on all aspects of someone’s well-being and quality of life.

To deal with the physical, mental, and emotional implications of these conditions, eating disorders are treated through specialized programs. The level of care you or your loved one needs will vary, depending on a number of factors.

Intensive outpatient treatment for eating disorders is for patients who have made much progress toward recovery but still want or need some extra support on a regular basis or are seeing their symptoms intensify and want to intervene before their condition worsens.

What is Intensive Outpatient Treatment?

An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is a type of outpatient eating disorder treatment where patients live at home and commute to care.

Each program will vary based on the needs of the individual patient. But in general, these programs take place over several sessions throughout the week, usually across 2-3 days, for at least 3 hours per session.¹ Patients may undergo a variety of treatments during these sessions, including:

• Individual therapy
• Group therapy
• Psychoeducational sessions
• Support groups

These sessions can take place in a virtual setting or in person, at a doctor or therapist’s office, rehab facility, hospital, clinic, or community center, among other locations.

Someone may “step down” to IOP eating disorder treatment after going through higher levels of care or begin their recovery journey at this level of care if standard outpatient care is not providing enough support. Generally, patients in an IOP have many of their disordered thoughts or behaviors under control but need more consistent support to keep progressing in their eating disorder recovery compared to those in a standard outpatient program.

Intensive Outpatient Programs vs. Outpatient Programs

Standard outpatient programs are the least intensive level of care for eating disorders and other mental health conditions. They generally involve a weekly or otherwise regular check-in with a therapist or sometimes another treatment team member. Occasionally, people at this level of care will also have semi-regular check-ups with medical doctors, especially if they take medication as part of their treatment.

Since meetings with mental health counselors are relatively infrequent (compared to other levels of care), and a patient does not attend different types of treatment in an outpatient program, someone at this level of care must have good control over their eating disorder behaviors and thoughts. Therapy should primarily be used as a tool to look out for potential triggers and stay recovery-focused.

Standard outpatient treatment is less frequent and less structured than an IOP. If a patient is ready to take on social responsibilities but requires more support than a weekly meeting, they may be better suited for IOP eating disorder treatment.

Intensive Outpatient Programs vs. Partial Hospitalization Programs

A partial hospitalization program (PHP) is a more intensive type of eating disorder treatment. While it’s also a form of outpatient care, it’s the next level “up” from an IOP, requiring a patient to attend treatment sessions a majority of the week for a majority of the day.²

PHP sessions may last for 6 hours per day, 5 days per week. 

Patients in a PHP may undergo more types of treatment than those in an IOP, and sessions will be longer or more intensive. For eating disorder treatment, that may include additional nutritional counseling and education and meal support or monitoring, among other differences.

Due to their intensity, partial hospitalization programs are sometimes recommended as an alternative to inpatient treatment or as an appropriate step before or after inpatient.² Those in IOPs are generally considered less symptomatic and able to focus on more social responsibilities in their life.

Intensive Outpatient Programs vs. Inpatient Programs

Inpatient programs for eating disorders include both inpatient hospitalization and residential programs. These are generally recommended for the most severe cases, including for people who have the least control over their thoughts or behaviors and those who are considered medically unstable.³

People in inpatient programs live full-time at a medical facility and have access to 24-hour care. Hospitalization focuses on helping a patient become medically stable.³ Once they’ve reached that point, they can enter residential treatment—highly structured programs where patients follow strict daily schedules that include various types of treatment.

Someone in IOP eating disorder treatment is generally further along in eating disorder recovery or experiencing fewer symptoms than someone who needs inpatient, to the point where they feel ready and able to live at home, commute to treatment, and begin incorporating other responsibilities into their schedule alongside treatment.

IOP for Eating Disorders: Overview

Intensive outpatient treatment can be used to treat a number of mental health conditions. When an IOP is part of eating disorder programs, it will still involve individual and group therapy sessions but usually include additional types of treatment, such as:

• Nutrition education
• Meal monitoring or support
• Occasional medical check-ins

Individual sessions help work on specific triggers or issues and learn new, healthier coping mechanisms. Group therapy sessions and support groups serve as places to help patients practice new coping skills, share their experiences, and build a strong support network. Medical check-ins can be used to assess overall health or fine-tune any prescriptions that a patient may be taking as part of treatment.

Patients will see several treatment team members throughout the week. Depending on the specifics of their schedule and program, each day of treatment may focus on one particular type of care (family-based or individual therapy sessions, for example) or may involve a mix of treatment types.

As patients progress through the program, their treatment team will track their progress and recommend next steps accordingly. Relapse can happen at any point in the recovery journey, and patients who experience this or otherwise struggle with an IOP may be advised to “step up” their level of care to a PHP. Others may “step down” to standard outpatient treatment after making sufficient progress in an IOP.

Finding the Right Eating Disorder Treatment

Intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment is a good choice for many patients. But ultimately, it’s best to let medical experts determine which level of care is best for you or your loved one.

The first step toward getting the right kind of eating disorder treatment is usually getting an official diagnosis. This can be performed by a therapist, psychiatrist, or other licensed medical professional.

Using a variety of tests, your doctor will determine how severe the case is and recommend a specific level of treatment or course of care. Contacting your insurance company will likely be the next step to help ensure these programs are eligible for coverage.

It can be strenuous and stressful to secure the appropriate type of eating disorder care. But finding the proper treatment for you or your loved one is a crucial step toward recovery. And overcoming these dangerous conditions can make all the difference toward feeling better, happier, and more at peace.

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Published December 12, 2024.