Anorexia NervosaNCT06203418
Investigation of Multi-Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa
A study testing Multi-Family Therapy in people with Anorexia Nervosa, run by University of Illinois Chicago at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The proposed project is an intensive multi family therapy (MFT) intervention involving patients with anorexia nervosa and their families. MFT interventions are informed from the principles of the family based treatment (FBT)/family therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN) models. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 11 to 18 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Anorexia Nervosa
- What is being tested?
- Multi-Family Therapy
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 200 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 21 May 2020to 30 Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 11 to 18 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- English speaking
- living at home with at least one parent/guardian
- diagnosis of restricting eating disorder
- 11-18 years of age
- Medically stable per medical clearance form
Who cannot join
- Active psychosis (parent or child)
- Current dependence on drug or alcohol (parent or child)
- Past history/current abuse (sexual/physical), neglect
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, 60612
About this study
The proposed project is an intensive multi family therapy (MFT) intervention involving patients with anorexia nervosa and their families. MFT interventions are informed from the principles of the family based treatment (FBT)/family therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN) models. This program will offer families in vivo/virtual support while connecting with other families to increase knowledge of eating disorders and develop skills related to successfully supporting their adolescent during difficult times, including meal support and affect regulation. Our objective is to explore the influence of the MFT intervention on the primary outcome measures in eating disorder treatment, including weight, expressed emotion and eating disorder symptomatology.
Read the detailed description
The proposed project is an intensive multi family therapy (MFT) intervention involving patients with anorexia nervosa and their families. MFT interventions are informed from the principles of the family based treatment (FBT)/family therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN) models. This program will offer families in vivo/virtual support while connecting with other families to increase knowledge of eating disorders and develop skills related to successfully supporting their adolescent during difficult times, including meal support and affect regulation. Our objective is to explore the influence of the MFT intervention on the primary outcome measures in eating disorder treatment, including weight, expressed emotion and eating disorder symptomatology.
Families/patients will participate in an initial phone screen with the study coordinator to determine eligibility for the MFT. When participants are deemed eligible, they will then follow-up with a trained study assessor, where they will be consented for the study and complete both written and interview based assessments. Parents are welcome to participate without their child if their child does not wish to assent; the child may assent and participate in further treatment days if they wish. Families attending the group will continue to complete assessments throughout the study. Parents will complete the assessment interviews to their best knowledge about their child if their child does not choose to participate. Once a child agrees to participate, they will complete assessment interviews themselves. Patients will receive medical clearance/assessment by their primary care doctor or Eating Disorder medical provider prior to the start of the group. All medical assessments will be reviewed by Dr. Karen Bernstein. When "in person" group gatherings may resume, each treatment group will consist of 3-8 families with a new cohort starting approximately every 6 weeks (total of 6-8 sessions over a 1 year time period).
Accepted families will then by the 4 day MFT. Day 1 will involve a two hour orientation to the group. Families will learn the medical consequences of eating disorders, psychological principles of the treatment intervention, the expectations of participation, meet the treatment team, as well as hear from a family who has been through treatment. On the rest of day 1 through day 4, families will participate in a variety of planned activities aimed at facilitating change throughout the treatment process. Additionally, the "in person" group will have 3 3-6 hour follow up group sessions scheduled at 2 weeks post intervention (virtual), 1 month post intervention (in person), and 3 months post intervention (in person). In the virtual model, each treatment group will consist of 3-8 families with a new cohort starting approximately every 4-6 weeks (total of 8 -13 sessions over a 1 year time period). Day 1 will be a similar orientation as described above using the Zoom virtual platform. On the rest of day 1 and through day 4, families will participate in synchronous and asynchronous activities modified for the virtual format. Families in the virtual group will also participate in 3 3-hour follow up sessions in 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months (all virtual).
Per the Multi-Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa Treatment Manual (Draft) (Simic M, Baudinet J et al), mechanisms of change in the group involve:
- Multiple sources of input (parents, carers, young people, professionals) working together will allow participants to be both givers and receivers of new ideas/thoughts. Additionally, this will allow families to experiment with new behavioral interventions. The group is aimed at offering young people and their families the opportunity to experience simultaneous different roles. This process allows for new learning and experimentation with new ideas around the illness and family. Meeting families that are confronted with the same illness yet at different stages of recovery, makes experience sharing particularly rich and can inspire hope for change.
- The MFT is designed purposefully with increased intensity and broadening of the treatment scope. Families receive a large dose of the treatment in the format of 4, 6 hour days (in person), or 4, 4 hour days with additional asynchronous tasks (virtual). The dose of treatment is created to match the intensity of the illness and promote behavioral experimentation and change within a short period of time. This 4 day "burst" has the primary aim of increasing parental efficacy in taking charge of the patient's illness. Families will participate in additional follow up sessions to "boost" and monitor the effects of the intervention
- The MFT is designed to increase solidarity, reduce isolation, and facilitate building a community around behavioral change.
The overall themes of the intervention are engagement and understanding of the illness and its impact on the family, managing mealtimes and providing in vivo support during meals and process/problem solving around mealtimes, exploration of the impact of the illness of family relationships and working to set a path to improve them, and planning for the future (Simic M, Baudinet J et al). The intervention will include educational/cognitive behavioral, motivational, and problem-solving components, along with relational elements.
- Conditions
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Being tested
- Multi-Family Therapy
- Keywords
- Multi-Family Therapy
- Medical subject headings
- Anorexia Nervosa
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Multi-Family TherapyBehavioural
Multi family therapy for anorexia nervosa (MFT-AN) draws on the same principles as FBT but is delivered in a more intensive format to help families to overcome a sense of isolation and stigmatization and to maximize their own resources. In the case of eating disorders, this program utilizes FBT principles (both approaches are guided by the family-based treatment philosophy, which stresses the impact of ED on family functioning and attempts to mobilize families as the primary agents of change in achieving recovery), and also utilizes learning from structural, systemic, strategic, narrative, and psychodrama-based family therapy practices,(Knatz et al., 2015). Generally between 5-7 families take part in MFT, sharing their experiences, learning by example, and providing support for one another. Study will utilize virtual adaptation of manualized treatment published by Simic et al 2021
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Multi-Family Therapy Receives: Behavioral: Multi-Family Therapy |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 1. weight
weight in lbs over time
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 2. BMI
BMI (kg/m^2): weight and height will be converted into appropriate units for calculation
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 3. Heart rate
Heart Rate (beats per minute)
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 4. eating disorder thoughts and behaviors
This is measured by 3 assessments that share scales. These assessments are the Eating Disorder Examination, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and the Parent Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. Each of these measures have a total of 5 scales. These include Restraint, Eating Concern, Shape Concern and Weight Concern as well as a Global (total) score. This measured on a scale from 0-6 with 0 suggestion no presence of symptom and 6 representing maximum score. (Restraint, Eating Concern, Shape Concern and Weight Concern) and an overall global score, with a higher score indicating more problematic eating difficulties. Scale: 0-6
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 5. co-morbid psychiatric disorders
Co-morbid psychiatric disorders measured by Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MiniKid) is a short standardized diagnostic interview and covers a rather broad range of diagnoses applicable to children and adolescents. This results in a 0 or 1 score. 0 of diagnosis is not given, 1 if diagnosis is given
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 6. co-morbid psychiatric disorders
Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) is a 47-item, youth self-report questionnaire with subscales including: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and low mood (major depressive disorder). It also yields a Total Anxiety Scale (sum of the 5 anxiety subscales) and a Total Internalizing Scale (sum of all 6 subscales). To score the RCADS manually, each item is assigned a numerical value from 0-3, where 0 = Never, 1 = Sometimes, 2 = Often, and 3 = Always. Higher number suggests higher severity.
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 7. co-morbid psychiatric disorders
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) - Each item on the questionnaire is scored from 0-3 and this means that a person can score between 0 and 21 for either anxiety or depression.
is a 47-item, youth self-report questionnaire with subscales including: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and low mood (major depressive disorder). It also yields a Total Anxiety Scale (sum of the 5 anxiety subscales) and a Total Internalizing Scale (sum of all 6 subscales). To score the RCADS manually, each item is assigned a numerical value from 0-3, where 0 = Never, 1 = Sometimes, 2 = Often, and 3 = Always. Higher number suggests higher severity.
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) 8. sleep quality
Consensus Sleep Diary (CSD). 15 items to prospectively assess subjective estimates of daily sleep patterns, including time eyes closed, sleep-onset latency, number of awakenings, time of final awakening, and total time spent awake after sleep onset. Additional items include a Likert rating of sleep quality, medication use, and naps.Sleep diaries are universally the preferred method for collecting self-reported sleep data. There is no score on this measure Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Sleep Disturbance and Sleep-Related Impairment, 8-item short forms. The PROMIS Pediatric Sleep Disturbance and Sleep-Related Impairment item banks are self-report eight item measures that assesses perceptions of sleep depth, restoration, and quality over the past seven days. Higher scores indicating greater sleep/wake disturbances.
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 9. expressed emotion
Expressed Emotion measured by Difficulties in Emotional Regulation (DERS). The DERS is a self-report measure of subjective emotion ability, as defined by a prominent clinically derived model of emotion regulation. Higher scores suggest greater problems with emotion regulation.
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 10. expressed emotion
Expressed Emotion measured by Brief Dyadic Scale of Expressed Emotion This is a 14 item self-report questionnaire. The items of this self- report measure are scored on a 10-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate higher levels of criticism/expressed emotion.
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 11. expressed emotion
Expressed Emotion measured by Family Questionnaire (FQ) The Family Questionnaire (FQ),is The Family Questionnaire (FQ) is a 20-item, self-administered questionnaire that measures expressed emotion status (criticism and emotional over involvement [EOI]) of family members toward patients with mental illness. Expressed Emotion measured by Family Questionnaire (FQ) The FQ has two sub-scales: critical comments, and EOI. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale (1 = never/very rarely; 4 = very often). The FQ is scored by adding together the ratings from the individual items, with higher scores indicating greater levels of expressed emotion.
Measured: 1 year
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 12. Parenting styles
Parenting Styles categorized by Diana Baumrind's 4 parenting styles including authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved parenting styles. This is assessed by the MFT intensive leaders at the beginning of the MFT intervention at Day 1 and then again at Day 4. This assessment results in parents being categorized into one of the 4 parenting styles.
Measured: 1 year
Secondary outcomes (2)
Implementation and feasibility of virtual adaptation of MFT 1. participant retention
evaluate participant retention - This is calculating drop out scores as a percentage of total participants.
Measured: 4 years
Implementation and feasibility of virtual adaptation of MFT - 2. participant satisfaction
Participant satisfaction of program measured by MFT Feedback Form (created by investigators).This is a qualitative measure seeking subjective responses from participants related to their overall experience in the program.
Measured: 4 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Jan 2024
- Study start21 May 2020
- Primary completion30 Dec 2024
- Study completion30 Dec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Anorexia NervosaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of Illinois ChicagoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Illinois Chicago
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06203418
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2020-0217
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Jul 2023
- Last updated
- 17 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Arbit SE, Anderson K, Desai S, Bernstein K. Investigation of virtual multi-family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa: feasibility and acceptability. J Eat Disord. 2026 Mar 27;14(1):97. doi: 10.1186/s40337-026-01575-0.
PubMed 41888889
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigation of Multi-Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06203418
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2020-0217
- Conditions
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Keywords
- Multi-Family Therapy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 200 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Illinois ChicagoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Study start
- 21 May 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 12 Jan 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The proposed project is an intensive multi family therapy (MFT) intervention involving patients with anorexia nervosa and their families. MFT interventions are informed from the principles of the family based treatment (FBT)/family therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN) models. This program will offer families in vivo/virtual support while connecting with other families to increase knowledge of eating disorders and develop skills related to successfully supporting their adolescent during difficult times, including meal support and affect regulation. Our objective is to explore the influence of the MFT intervention on the primary outcome measures in eating disorder treatment, including weight, expressed emotion and eating disorder symptomatology.
Detailed description
The proposed project is an intensive multi family therapy (MFT) intervention involving patients with anorexia nervosa and their families. MFT interventions are informed from the principles of the family based treatment (FBT)/family therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN) models. This program will offer families in vivo/virtual support while connecting with other families to increase knowledge of eating disorders and develop skills related to successfully supporting their adolescent during difficult times, including meal support and affect regulation. Our objective is to explore the influence of the MFT intervention on the primary outcome measures in eating disorder treatment, including weight, expressed emotion and eating disorder symptomatology.
Families/patients will participate in an initial phone screen with the study coordinator to determine eligibility for the MFT. When participants are deemed eligible, they will then follow-up with a trained study assessor, where they will be consented for the study and complete both written and interview based assessments. Parents are welcome to participate without their child if their child does not wish to assent; the child may assent and participate in further treatment days if they wish. Families attending the group will continue to complete assessments throughout the study. Parents will complete the assessment interviews to their best knowledge about their child if their child does not choose to participate. Once a child agrees to participate, they will complete assessment interviews themselves. Patients will receive medical clearance/assessment by their primary care doctor or Eating Disorder medical provider prior to the start of the group. All medical assessments will be reviewed by Dr. Karen Bernstein. When "in person" group gatherings may resume, each treatment group will consist of 3-8 families with a new cohort starting approximately every 6 weeks (total of 6-8 sessions over a 1 year time period).
Accepted families will then by the 4 day MFT. Day 1 will involve a two hour orientation to the group. Families will learn the medical consequences of eating disorders, psychological principles of the treatment intervention, the expectations of participation, meet the treatment team, as well as hear from a family who has been through treatment. On the rest of day 1 through day 4, families will participate in a variety of planned activities aimed at facilitating change throughout the treatment process. Additionally, the "in person" group will have 3 3-6 hour follow up group sessions scheduled at 2 weeks post intervention (virtual), 1 month post intervention (in person), and 3 months post intervention (in person). In the virtual model, each treatment group will consist of 3-8 families with a new cohort starting approximately every 4-6 weeks (total of 8 -13 sessions over a 1 year time period). Day 1 will be a similar orientation as described above using the Zoom virtual platform. On the rest of day 1 and through day 4, families will participate in synchronous and asynchronous activities modified for the virtual format. Families in the virtual group will also participate in 3 3-hour follow up sessions in 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months (all virtual).
Per the Multi-Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa Treatment Manual (Draft) (Simic M, Baudinet J et al), mechanisms of change in the group involve:
- Multiple sources of input (parents, carers, young people, professionals) working together will allow participants to be both givers and receivers of new ideas/thoughts. Additionally, this will allow families to experiment with new behavioral interventions. The group is aimed at offering young people and their families the opportunity to experience simultaneous different roles. This process allows for new learning and experimentation with new ideas around the illness and family. Meeting families that are confronted with the same illness yet at different stages of recovery, makes experience sharing particularly rich and can inspire hope for change.
- The MFT is designed purposefully with increased intensity and broadening of the treatment scope. Families receive a large dose of the treatment in the format of 4, 6 hour days (in person), or 4, 4 hour days with additional asynchronous tasks (virtual). The dose of treatment is created to match the intensity of the illness and promote behavioral experimentation and change within a short period of time. This 4 day "burst" has the primary aim of increasing parental efficacy in taking charge of the patient's illness. Families will participate in additional follow up sessions to "boost" and monitor the effects of the intervention
- The MFT is designed to increase solidarity, reduce isolation, and facilitate building a community around behavioral change.
The overall themes of the intervention are engagement and understanding of the illness and its impact on the family, managing mealtimes and providing in vivo support during meals and process/problem solving around mealtimes, exploration of the impact of the illness of family relationships and working to set a path to improve them, and planning for the future (Simic M, Baudinet J et al). The intervention will include educational/cognitive behavioral, motivational, and problem-solving components, along with relational elements.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Multi-Family TherapyMulti-Family Therapy |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 11 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- English speaking
- living at home with at least one parent/guardian
- diagnosis of restricting eating disorder
- 11-18 years of age
- Medically stable per medical clearance form
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Active psychosis (parent or child)
- Current dependence on drug or alcohol (parent or child)
- Past history/current abuse (sexual/physical), neglect
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Family TherapyMulti family therapy for anorexia nervosa (MFT-AN) draws on the same principles as FBT but is delivered in a more intensive format to help families to overcome a sense of isolation and stigmatization and to maximize their own resources. In the case of eating disorders, this program utilizes FBT principles (both approaches are guided by the family-based treatment philosophy, which stresses the impact of ED on family functioning and attempts to mobilize families as the primary agents of change in achieving recovery), and also utilizes learning from structural, systemic, strategic, narrative, and psychodrama-based family therapy practices,(Knatz et al., 2015). Generally between 5-7 families take part in MFT, sharing their experiences, learning by example, and providing support for one another. Study will utilize virtual adaptation of manualized treatment published by Simic et al 2021 | Behavioural | Intervention |
Primary outcome
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 1. weight
Time frame: 1 year
weight in lbs over time
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 2. BMI
Time frame: 1 year
BMI (kg/m^2): weight and height will be converted into appropriate units for calculation
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 3. Heart rate
Time frame: 1 year
Heart Rate (beats per minute)
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 4. eating disorder thoughts and behaviors
Time frame: 1 year
This is measured by 3 assessments that share scales. These assessments are the Eating Disorder Examination, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and the Parent Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. Each of these measures have a total of 5 scales. These include Restraint, Eating Concern, Shape Concern and Weight Concern as well as a Global (total) score. This measured on a scale from 0-6 with 0 suggestion no presence of symptom and 6 representing maximum score. (Restraint, Eating Concern, Shape Concern and Weight Concern) and an overall global score, with a higher score indicating more problematic eating difficulties. Scale: 0-6
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 5. co-morbid psychiatric disorders
Time frame: 1 year
Co-morbid psychiatric disorders measured by Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MiniKid) is a short standardized diagnostic interview and covers a rather broad range of diagnoses applicable to children and adolescents. This results in a 0 or 1 score. 0 of diagnosis is not given, 1 if diagnosis is given
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 6. co-morbid psychiatric disorders
Time frame: 1 year
Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) is a 47-item, youth self-report questionnaire with subscales including: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and low mood (major depressive disorder). It also yields a Total Anxiety Scale (sum of the 5 anxiety subscales) and a Total Internalizing Scale (sum of all 6 subscales). To score the RCADS manually, each item is assigned a numerical value from 0-3, where 0 = Never, 1 = Sometimes, 2 = Often, and 3 = Always. Higher number suggests higher severity.
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 7. co-morbid psychiatric disorders
Time frame: 1 year
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) - Each item on the questionnaire is scored from 0-3 and this means that a person can score between 0 and 21 for either anxiety or depression. is a 47-item, youth self-report questionnaire with subscales including: separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and low mood (major depressive disorder). It also yields a Total Anxiety Scale (sum of the 5 anxiety subscales) and a Total Internalizing Scale (sum of all 6 subscales). To score the RCADS manually, each item is assigned a numerical value from 0-3, where 0 = Never, 1 = Sometimes, 2 = Often, and 3 = Always. Higher number suggests higher severity.
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) 8. sleep quality
Time frame: 1 year
Consensus Sleep Diary (CSD). 15 items to prospectively assess subjective estimates of daily sleep patterns, including time eyes closed, sleep-onset latency, number of awakenings, time of final awakening, and total time spent awake after sleep onset. Additional items include a Likert rating of sleep quality, medication use, and naps.Sleep diaries are universally the preferred method for collecting self-reported sleep data. There is no score on this measure Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Sleep Disturbance and Sleep-Related Impairment, 8-item short forms. The PROMIS Pediatric Sleep Disturbance and Sleep-Related Impairment item banks are self-report eight item measures that assesses perceptions of sleep depth, restoration, and quality over the past seven days. Higher scores indicating greater sleep/wake disturbances.
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 9. expressed emotion
Time frame: 1 year
Expressed Emotion measured by Difficulties in Emotional Regulation (DERS). The DERS is a self-report measure of subjective emotion ability, as defined by a prominent clinically derived model of emotion regulation. Higher scores suggest greater problems with emotion regulation.
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 10. expressed emotion
Time frame: 1 year
Expressed Emotion measured by Brief Dyadic Scale of Expressed Emotion This is a 14 item self-report questionnaire. The items of this self- report measure are scored on a 10-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate higher levels of criticism/expressed emotion.
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 11. expressed emotion
Time frame: 1 year
Expressed Emotion measured by Family Questionnaire (FQ) The Family Questionnaire (FQ),is The Family Questionnaire (FQ) is a 20-item, self-administered questionnaire that measures expressed emotion status (criticism and emotional over involvement [EOI]) of family members toward patients with mental illness. Expressed Emotion measured by Family Questionnaire (FQ) The FQ has two sub-scales: critical comments, and EOI. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale (1 = never/very rarely; 4 = very often). The FQ is scored by adding together the ratings from the individual items, with higher scores indicating greater levels of expressed emotion.
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 12. Parenting styles
Time frame: 1 year
Parenting Styles categorized by Diana Baumrind's 4 parenting styles including authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved parenting styles. This is assessed by the MFT intensive leaders at the beginning of the MFT intervention at Day 1 and then again at Day 4. This assessment results in parents being categorized into one of the 4 parenting styles.
2 secondary outcomes
Implementation and feasibility of virtual adaptation of MFT 1. participant retention
Time frame: 4 years
Implementation and feasibility of virtual adaptation of MFT - 2. participant satisfaction
Time frame: 4 years
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Aug 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41888889Arbit SE, Anderson K, Desai S, Bernstein K. Investigation of virtual multi-family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa: feasibility and acceptability. J Eat Disord. 2026 Mar 27;14(1):97. doi: 10.1186/s40337-026-01575-0.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Multi-Family Therapy in people with Anorexia Nervosa, run by University of Illinois Chicago at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Effect on Eating Disorder Symptomatology (multiple variables) - 1. weight (time frame: 1 year). The study lists 12 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06203418, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Aug 2026.