Background

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a relatively new eating disorder diagnosis, and there is need to better understand this disorder's presentation. Diagnostic criteria for ARFID require that there are no body image distortions. People with ARFID symptoms may have body image concerns that require careful consideration and more information about the interplay of these is needed to help clinicians appropriately diagnose and manage ARFID.

Case presentation

This clinical observation reports a case of ARFID in a nine-year-old with severe malnutrition who positively views her small size and values thinness. The patient reported that her own desire for thinness was influenced by social media beauty ideals and praise of thinness witnessed in social situations. Despite this, the motivation for avoidant and restrictive eating behaviors was low appetitive drive, fear of trying new foods, and fear of adverse consequences from eating.

Conclusions

Although concerning, the patient's body image was not of clinical significance as a motivating factor for the disordered eating behaviors. Body image dissatisfaction is common. The requirement to exclude body image distortions in the diagnostic criteria for ARFID may require consideration of the pervasiveness of societal body ideals to which young people are exposed.

This study evaluated the effects of two treatments for adolescent bulimia nervosa (BN), family-based treatment (FBT-BN), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-A), on both attitudinal and behavioural outcomes at end-of-treatment. These associations were examined specifically relative to motivation for change in obsessive-compulsive (OC) features of eating disorder (ED) symptoms. Adolescents (N = 110) were randomly assigned to FBT-BN or CBT-A and completed assessments of eating pathology and OC-ED behaviour. Across both treatments, greater motivation for change in OC-ED behaviour was associated with improved attitudinal features of ED at end-of-treatment. Motivation for change did not demonstrate a direct or interaction effect on BN behavioural outcomes. Results suggest that adolescents with BN who are more motivated to change OC-ED behaviours at the start of treatment, FBT-BN or CBT-A, are more likely to demonstrate improvements in cognitions, but not behaviours associated with EDs, at treatment conclusion.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome (remission status) in family-based treatment (FBT) and adolescent-focused therapy (AFT) for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN).

Method

Independent observers rated audiotapes of early therapy sessions using the Working Alliance Inventory-Observer Version (WAI-o). Outcome was defined using established cut-points for full and partial remission. To control for effects of early symptom improvement, changes in weight- and eating-related psychopathology prior to the alliance session were calculated and entered as a covariate in each analysis.

Results

Participants in AFT had significantly higher alliance scores; however, overall scores were high in both therapies. The alliance was not a predictor of full remission for either treatment, though it was a non-specific predictor for partial remission.

Discussion

Therapeutic alliance is achievable in adolescents with AN in both AFT and FBT, but demonstrated no relationship to full remission of the disorder.

Eating disorders (EDs) are complex psychiatric diagnoses requiring specialized care. Family-based treatment (FBT) is the first-line treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa and is also efficacious for other EDs. This study describes practice changes due to the implementation of an integrated interdisciplinary FBT-aligned treatment program for EDs at a large tertiary care hospital in the United States. We examined the feasibility and acceptability of implementation, barriers to implementation, and impact on providers' roles over a one-year period. Practice changes came with shifts in roles, and were largely experienced as acceptable with good suitability. Barriers identified may inform future interdisciplinary implementation efforts.

Objective

This study aimed to describe the role of parent alliance in Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). Differences between parent and child alliance with the therapist, mothers' and fathers' alliance, and their relationship to outcome were examined.

Method

Independent observers rated audiotapes of early therapy sessions to assess the therapeutic alliance of parents and adolescents with AN in FBT. Outcome was defined using a previously established cut-point for recovery from AN.

Results

Mothers' and fathers' alliance scores with the therapist were similar and significantly higher than adolescent alliance scores early in treatment. Combined parent alliance did not predict recovery at the end of treatment. Difference in alliance scores between mothers and fathers, and parents and their child also did not predict recovery at the end of treatment.

Conclusions

In FBT, parents developed a strong alliance with the therapist early in treatment. These scores were consistent with the focus in FBT on parental management of eating disorder symptoms, as was the fact that alliance between adolescents and therapists was lower. Although parental therapeutic alliance was likely important in FBT, its role in treatment response remains uncertain.

OBJECTIVE:This study tested clinical utility of the DSM-5 severity specifier for bulimia nervosa (BN) in predicting treatment response among adolescents (N = 110) within a randomized clinical trial of two psychosocial treatments. METHOD:Analyses grouped individuals meeting criteria for BN diagnosis by baseline severity, per DSM-5. Associations among baseline severity classification and BN behavior (i.e., binge eating and compensatory behavior) and eating disorder examination (EDE) Global scores at end-of-treatment (EOT), 6- and 12-month follow-up were examined. RESULTS:Associations between severity categories with BN symptoms were not significant at EOT, or follow-up. Test for linear trend in BN behavior was significant at EOT, F = 5.23, p = 0.02, without demonstrating a linear pattern. Relation between severity categories with EDE Global scores was significant at 6-month follow-up, F = 3.76, p = 0.01. Tests for linear trend in EDE Global scores were significant at EOT, F = 5.40, p = 0.02, and at 6 months, F = 10.73, p = 0.002, with the expected linear pattern. DISCUSSION:Findings suggest the DSM-5 BN severity specifier holds questionable utility in anticipating outpatient treatment response in adolescents with BN. The specifier may have improved ability to predict attitudinal rather than behavioral treatment outcomes.

Objective

Long-term follow-up studies documenting maintenance of treatment effects are few in adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN). This exploratory study reports relapse from full remission and attainment of remission during a 4-year open follow-up period using a convenience sample of a subgroup of 65% (n = 79) from an original cohort of 121 participants who completed a randomized clinical trial comparing family-based therapy (FBT) and adolescent-focused individual therapy (AFT).

Method

Follow-up assessments were completed up to 4 years posttreatment (average, 3.26 years). Available participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination as well as self-report measures of self-esteem and depression at 2 to 4 years posttreatment.

Results

Two participants (6.1%) relapsed (FBT: n = 1, 4.5%; AFT: n = 1, 9.1%), on average 1.98 years (SD = 0.14 years) after remission was achieved at 1-year follow-up. Ten new participants (22.7%) achieved remission (FBT: n = 1, 5.9%; AFT: n = 9, 33.3%). Mean time to remission for this group was 2.01 years (SD = 0.82 years) from 1-year follow-up. There were no differences based on treatment group assignment in either relapse from full remission or new remission during long-term follow-up. Other psychopathology was stable over time.

Conclusion

There were few changes in the clinical presentation of participants who were assessed at long-term follow-up. These data suggest that outcomes are generally stable posttreatment regardless of treatment type once remission is achieved. Clinical trial registration information-Effectiveness of Family-Based Versus Individual Psychotherapy in Treating Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa; http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00149786.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of eating disorders have increased, further straining systems of care that were already overburdened. The current paper describes novel interventions, largely informed by Family-Based Treatment (FBT), that were implemented by a tertiary specialist adolescent eating disorders service. In response to the pandemic, programming was designed to bridge access to care while waiting for availability of evidence-based therapy. The Brief Psychology Consultation Clinic provides several sessions to patients and families, focused on psychoeducation and problem-solving informed by FBT and other evidence-based therapies. Two groups, the FBT Caregiver Workshop Series and FBT Caregiver Support Group, provide psychoeducation and support for caregivers of youth with eating disorders. Perceived strengths and benefits of these services, as well as barriers to implementation and future research directions are discussed.

Objective

This study provides data on the psychometric properties of a newly developed measure of treatment fidelity in Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN). The Family Therapy Fidelity and Adherence Check (FBT-FACT) was created to evaluate therapist adherence and competency on the core interventions in FBT.

Method

Participants were 45 adolescents and their families sampled from three randomized clinical trials evaluating treatment for AN. Trained fidelity raters evaluated 19 therapists across 90 early session recordings using the FBT-FACT. They also rated an additional 15 session 1 recordings of an alternate form of family therapy-Systemic Family Therapy for the purpose of evaluating discriminant validity of the FBT-FACT. The process of development and the psychometric properties of the FBT-FACT are presented.

Results

Overall fidelity ratings for each session demonstrated moderate to strong inter-rater agreement. Internal consistency of the measure was strong for sessions 1 and 2 and poor for session 3. Principal components analysis suggests sessions 1 and 2 are distinct interventions.

Discussion

The FBT-FACT demonstrates good reliability and validity as a measure of treatment fidelity in the early phase of FBT.

Objective

Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), treated with family-based treatment (FBT) who fail to gain 2.3 kg by the fourth week of treatment have a 40-50% lower chance of recovery than those who do. Because of the high risk of developing enduring AN, improving outcomes in this group of poor responders is essential. This study examines the feasibility and effects of a novel adaptive treatment (i.e., Intensive Parental Coaching-IPC) aimed at enhancing parental self-efficacy related to re-feeding skills in poor early responders to FBT.

Method

45 adolescents (12-18 years of age) meeting DSM TR IV criteria for AN were randomized in an unbalanced design (10 to standard FBT; 35 to the adaptive arm). Attrition, suitability, expectancy rates, weight change, and psychopathology were compared between groups.

Outcomes

There were no differences in rates of attrition, suitability, expectancy ratings, or most clinical outcomes between randomized groups. However, the group of poor early responders that received IPC achieved full weight restoration (>95% of expected mean BMI) by EOT at similar rates as those who had responded early.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that it is feasible to use an adaptive design to study the treatment effect of IPC for those who do not gain adequate weight by session 4 of FBT. The results also suggest that using IPC for poor early responders significantly improves weight recovery rates to levels comparable to those who respond early. A sufficiently powered study is needed to confirm these promising findings.