Multi-Family Group Therapy for Adult Eating Disorders

NCT02106728 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: 10-1012-AE (UHN REB ID NUMBER)
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 117
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Eating Disorders are a debilitating and serious mental illness. This illness is associated with medical complications, psychological and social impairment. Families of people with an eating disorder also report that they lack resources and have many unmet needs. Families often have insufficient information regarding the eating disorder, available treatment options and strategies for supporting the person with the illness. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two different family interventions for people with eating disorders and their family members (parents or partners) receiving treatment either in the inpatient or day treatment Eating Disorder Program at the Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network. Family supportive counseling consists of people with eating disorders and their family members meeting with a family therapist. Multi-family group therapy involves eight to ten families who meet as a group with two therapists. The investigators are conducting a study to assess the differences between these two different family interventions. This study will help us identify who benefits the most from participating in family supportive counseling or multi-family therapy. The investigators are also evaluating which intervention is more effective at helping the person with the eating disorder overcome their illness while helping their family members learn how to support the recovery process. Both family therapy interventions are delivered by experienced family therapy clinicians who work in either the Inpatient or Day Treatment Eating Disorder Program at Toronto General Hospital.

Conditions

Eating Disorders

Keywords

Eating Disorders; Family Therapy; Multi-Family Therapy; Bulimia Nervosa; Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Dropout

  3 months post enrollment in the study, participant's program completion is measures (completed, withdrawn, dropped out)

  3 months post enrollment

• Change in Weight

  Change in weight is measured to gauge if there has been a loss, gain, or maintenance.

  Baseline, End of treatment(8 weeks for multi-family therapy/average 10 weeks for supportive family therapy)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Caregiver Functioning

  Baseline, end of treatment(8 weeks for multi-family therapy/average 10 weeks for supportive family therapy), three months post-treatment

Study Arms (2)

Multi-Family Therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Multi-family group therapy involving eight to ten families who meet as a group with two therapists for a duration of 8, 1.5h sessions.

Behavioral: Multi-Family Therapy

Supportive Family Therapy

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Family supportive counseling consists of people with eating disorders and their family members meeting with a family therapist. This is treatment as usual in the Eating Disorders Program at University Health Network.

Behavioral: Supportive Family Therapy

Interventions

Multi-Family Therapy BEHAVIORAL

Multi-Family Therapy is conducted once per week over the course of 8 weeks for 1.5 hours per session. Therapy is provided to a minimum of 3 families and a maximum of 6 families with the aid of two to three therapist group leaders. Group topics are set and cover material on eating disorder psychoeducation, care-giving styles, meal support, and relapse prevention.

Multi-Family Therapy

Supportive Family Therapy BEHAVIORAL

Supportive Family Therapy is treatment as usual in the eating disorders program at TGH. Families meet independently with a therapist once per week for 1 hour per session. The length of the therapy and the topics of therapy are decided upon collaboratively with the therapist and the family.

Supportive Family Therapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• any patient attending the eating disorders program at University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital and their family members over the age of 16 (siblings, parents, partners).

You may not qualify if:

• current family violence.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Gina Dimitropoulos: lead
• University Health Network, Toronto: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University Health Network, Toronto General Hospital

Toronto, Ontario, M5G2C4, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Feeding and Eating Disorders; Bulimia Nervosa

Interventions

Psychotherapy, Group

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Socioenvironmental Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Limitations and Caveats

Lacked random assignment to MFT or SFT. Sample size of pilot was small and subsample of individuals were smaller in SFT than MFT. We may not have had statistical power to determine all differences in MFT and SFT groups. Sample not generalized.

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Gina Dimitropoulos
• Organization: Toronto General Hospital

gdimit@ucalgary.ca

416-340-3749

Study Officials

• Gina Dimitropoulos, PhD

  University Health Network, Toronto

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Clinician Scientist and Family Therapy Leader (PhD, MSW, LMFT)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 1, 2014
• First Posted: April 8, 2014
• Study Start: January 1, 2012
• Primary Completion: January 1, 2015
• Study Completion: January 1, 2015
• Last Updated: August 29, 2016
• Results First Posted: July 13, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)