Family Treatment for Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Psychiatric |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 12 - 18 |
| Updated: | 5/5/2014 |
| Start Date: | May 2009 |
| Contact: | Alix Timko, PhD |
| Email: | a.timko@usp.edu |
| Phone: | 215-596-7182 |
Acceptance Based Separated Family Treatment for Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa
This treatment development study seeks to investigate the most effective way to treat an
adolescent's eating disorder and how best to involve the parents or caregivers in this
process.
Typically, parents and their child are seen together in therapy. However, this can sometimes
be difficult for both the parents and the adolescent. Both parents and adolescents have
different concerns and are struggling with different aspects of the eating disorder.
Therefore, the treatment in this study involves the parents in treatment, but the majority
of therapy sessions are conducted with the parent(s) and adolescent separately.
Participants meet with a therapist for 20 sessions over the course of 24 weeks. For the
first 16 weeks parents and the adolescent meet individually with the therapist. For the last
8 weeks families meet with the therapist every other week. These last four sessions are
conjoint - that is, adolescents and parents will meet with the therapist together. This is
to help parents and adolescents come together as a family to continue to aid the adolescent
in the treatment of his/her eating disorder.
The investigators hypothesize that adolescents who receive this treatment will demonstrate
improvement in eating disorder symptoms and body-mass index and that caregivers who
participate will demonstrate decreased distress and caregiver burden. Furthermore, the
investigators hypothesize that increases in psychological acceptance will be seen for both
adolescents and caregivers post-treatment, and that treatment will be viewed as both
credible and acceptable to both caregiver and adolescent.
adolescent's eating disorder and how best to involve the parents or caregivers in this
process.
Typically, parents and their child are seen together in therapy. However, this can sometimes
be difficult for both the parents and the adolescent. Both parents and adolescents have
different concerns and are struggling with different aspects of the eating disorder.
Therefore, the treatment in this study involves the parents in treatment, but the majority
of therapy sessions are conducted with the parent(s) and adolescent separately.
Participants meet with a therapist for 20 sessions over the course of 24 weeks. For the
first 16 weeks parents and the adolescent meet individually with the therapist. For the last
8 weeks families meet with the therapist every other week. These last four sessions are
conjoint - that is, adolescents and parents will meet with the therapist together. This is
to help parents and adolescents come together as a family to continue to aid the adolescent
in the treatment of his/her eating disorder.
The investigators hypothesize that adolescents who receive this treatment will demonstrate
improvement in eating disorder symptoms and body-mass index and that caregivers who
participate will demonstrate decreased distress and caregiver burden. Furthermore, the
investigators hypothesize that increases in psychological acceptance will be seen for both
adolescents and caregivers post-treatment, and that treatment will be viewed as both
credible and acceptable to both caregiver and adolescent.
The purpose of this study is to develop and gather preliminary data on an acceptance-based
behavioral treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) that is delivered in a
separated family format. The treatment will combine a parent's skills curriculum that has
demonstrated preliminary effectiveness in the treatment of AN, with a novel adolescent
component based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT has been found to be useful
in the treatment of an array of psychological difficulties, and may be particularly
well-suited for the cognitive and behavioral avoidance and rigidity that characterizes
individuals with AN and their caregivers.
behavioral treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) that is delivered in a
separated family format. The treatment will combine a parent's skills curriculum that has
demonstrated preliminary effectiveness in the treatment of AN, with a novel adolescent
component based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT has been found to be useful
in the treatment of an array of psychological difficulties, and may be particularly
well-suited for the cognitive and behavioral avoidance and rigidity that characterizes
individuals with AN and their caregivers.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adolescent is between 12-18 years of age and living in home with caregivers
- Parent or primary caregiver willing to attend therapy sessions
- Adolescent meets diagnostic criteria of anorexia nervosa (either restricting or
binge/purge subtype) or subthreshold AN (relaxation of weight criterion to 90% of
ideal body weight as determined by weight history and CDC growth curves) or eating
disorder not otherwise specified (with restricting as the primary symptom) according
to the DSM-IV TR
- Adolescent is appropriate for outpatient care and receives medical clearance from a
primary care physician
Exclusion Criteria:
- Caregiver or adolescent with a co-morbid diagnosis of psychotic disorder, bi-polar
disorder, or substance dependence
- Caregiver or adolescent with diagnosis of mental retardation or a pervasive
developmental disorder
- Adolescent with a diagnosis of eating disorder not otherwise specified with the
primary symptoms of bingeing and purging, binging without compensatory behaviors or
spitting food or with restricting patterns but a BMI greater than 90% ideal weight
(as determined by weight history and CDC growth curves)
- Adolescent with extreme malnutrition or other medical complications/ diagnoses that
require a higher level of care
- Acute suicide risk
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