Pilot Study Comparing Multi-family Therapy to Single Family Therapy for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa in an Intensive Eating Disorder Program

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 294-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina Dimitropoulos ◽  
Jamie C. Farquhar ◽  
Victoria Emily Freeman ◽  
Patricia Anne Colton ◽  
Marion Patricia Olmsted
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Family Therapy ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Single Family

scholarly journals Brief early adolescent multi-family therapy (BEAM) trial for anorexia nervosa: a feasibility randomized controlled trial protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Baudinet ◽  
Ivan Eisler ◽  
Mima Simic ◽  
Ulrike Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Family Therapy ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Family Factors ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Secondary Outcomes

Abstract Introduction Multi-family therapy (MFT) is a recommended treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa internationally. Despite recent significant advances in single-family therapy, the evidence base for MFT remains relatively small. Several individual and family factors have been associated with poorer outcomes in single-family therapy, many of which may be addressed or ameliorated by MFT if delivered early in treatment. This trial aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of adding a five-day multi-family therapy group to the early stages of family therapy for anorexia nervosa. Secondary objectives are to explore effect size changes in key individual and family factors across treatment. Methods This feasibility trial will use a randomised controlled design. Sixty adolescents (age 10–17 inclusive) with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa and their parents will be recruited from a community-based specialist eating disorder service in London, UK. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive six months of eating disorder focussed family therapy with a five-day MFT group (experimental group) or without (control group). Block randomisation will be conducted by the King’s Clinical Trials Unit and researchers will be blind to participants’ intervention allocation. Feasibility, acceptability and secondary outcomes measures will be collected at baseline, post-MFT, end of treatment, six-month and 12-month follow-up. Feasibility and acceptability will be assessed according to trial sign-up rates, retention, measure completion rates and satisfaction. Secondary outcomes include physical health improvements, changes in psychiatric symptoms, emotion regulation and reflective function capacity, expressed emotion, parental difficulties and therapeutic alliance. Descriptive data and exploration analysis of trends and effect sizes will be reported upon at trial completion. Discussion The five-day MFT program developed for this study is novel, brief and more accessible than previous MFT models. The inclusion of a data collection point during treatment and follow-up will allow for an investigation of trends during and after treatment. This will allow exploration and comparison of future potential mediators and moderators of MFT and FT-AN outcomes and how these may differ between treatments. Trial registration ISRCTN registry; ISRCTN93437752, on 27 January 2021.

scholarly journals A pragmatic randomised multi-centre trial of multifamily and single family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Eisler ◽  
Mima Simic ◽  
John Hodsoll ◽  
Eia Asen ◽  
Mark Berelowitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Family Therapy ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa

The Place of Family Therapy in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa

1987 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 568-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Hall
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Family Therapy ◽  
Nuclear Family ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Individual Therapy ◽  
Younger Patients ◽  
Recent Onset ◽  
Selection Factors

There has been widespread, uncritical support for family therapy as the treatment of choice for all anorexia nervosa patients since Minuchin's report in 1976, but recent research has not been able to validate Minuchin's theories about the functioning of anorexia nervosa families. In the only controlled trial to date, the efficacy of family therapy was found to be superior to that of individual therapy, but only in younger patients. Selection factors for family therapy in the treatment of anorexia norvosa are illustrated by a report on 23 consecutive referrals to an eating disorder clinic. Although knowledge of the patient's family was an essential part of the assessment for all patients, and nuclear family sessions were considered to be highly desirable for all patients, in only six instances was nuclear family therapy a major component of treatment. These patients were mainly younger, had a recent onset of illness and lived in an intact nuclear family with co-operative parents.

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