Pica Disorder Treatment Options - OmniMedicalSearch.com

Conditions & Diseases: Eating & Weight Disorders

Pica Disorder

Pica Treatment Options

Unfortunately, in most cases the disorder is diagnosed in the emergency room when the child, adolescent, or adults are brought in with severe heath even life-threatening complications associated with ingesting non-food items. The main approach in such situations is identifying the health emergency (whether the person is poisoned, has an intestinal blockage or obstruction) and eliminating the problem in order to save the patients life and avoid other complications. Individuals with pica require close medical monitoring throughout treatment and the medical team should include a physician (who evaluates and treat the physical problems associate with pica), social worker (responsible with the socioeconomic issues), and mental health specialist (who will address the psychological issues associated with the disorder).

The main goal of the treatment is to reduce and eliminate the habit of eating non-food items. According to clinical experience pica subsides when iron supplementation is prescribed in individuals whose clinical symptoms of pica are associated with iron deficiency.

Regarding psychological help, currently the most effective strategies in treating pica stem from behavioral modification. Some of the most used behavioral methods in individuals with pica that seem to be efficient in overcoming this harmful eating habit include: "antecedent manipulation; discrimination training between edible and nonedible items; self-protection devices that prohibit placement of objects in the mouth; sensory reinforcement; differential reinforcement of other or incompatible behaviors, such as screening (covering eyes briefly), contingent aversive oral taste (lemon), contingent aversive smell sensation (ammonia), contingent aversive physical sensation (water mist), and brief physical restraint; and overcorrection (correct the environment, or practice appropriate alternative responses)." (2)

An important part of the treatment is the psychoeducation approach designed for family members or caregivers of individuals with pica. Usually, social workers can provide a social support system for the caregivers helping them understand the necessity of being available to meet the needs of these individuals and the importance of spending more time with them and use effiecint methods to interrupt and replace pica behavior.

A possible new line of treatment that is being suggested with potential beneficial results for individuals with pica is the pharmacological treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and atypical neuroleptics. This new treatment approach relies on the attempt to increase dopaminergic transmission in the brain.

Pica is a complex disorder with a distinct prognosis for each individual who suffers from it. Essential for a better outcome is an early recognition and prevention of the disorder. Although it is hard to prevent the disorder from developing, parents and caregivers can help by identifying the early signs of the pica and prevent the medical and developmental consequences associated with this harmful habit. However, the development of an efficient treatment protocol for individuals with pica depends on further research conducted on clarifying "the normal psychobiology and developmental progression of food selection, the intricate role of sociocultural influences, and the significance of appetite and ingestive disturbances in neuropsychiatric disorders." (3)

Article by Alina Morrow
MS Psychology
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com

Sources:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Pica, May 2003 (1)
Healthy Place, America's Mental Health Channel, Eating Disorder: Pica, December 22, 2008 (2)
Psychiatric Times, An Update on Pica: Prevalence, Contributing Causes, and Treatment, by Barton J. Blinder, MD, PhD and Christina Salama, May 1, 2008 Psychiatric Times, Vol. 25, No. 6, March 2009 (3)
Keepkidshealthy.com, Pica, August 2001
About.com: Eating Disorders, Pica: Eating Things That Aren't Food, by Matthew Tiemeyer, February 2009
WebMD, Mental Health: Pica, July 2005
Encyclopedia of Mental Disorder, Pica, Date unknown
The New York Times, Health Guide, Pica, June 2008
American Pregnant Association, Pregnancy and Pica: Non-Food Cravings, March 2007
Pregnancy.org, Pregnancy and Pica: Non-Food Cravings, Date unknown
Pregnancy-info.net, Pica, Date unknown
About.com: Pregnancy and Childbirth, Harmful Cravings, Dangerous Foods in Pregnancy, by Robin Elise Weiss, LLCE, Date unknown