The Remote Family Support Programs for Eating Disorders

NCT05840614 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: NagoyaCU
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 67
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Eating disorders are serious mental health disorders associated with high levels of mortality, disability, physical and psychological morbidity, and impaired quality of life. Family members who spend the majority of their time with patients of eating disorders experience heavy psychological burden. Remote family support programs consist of interpersonal psychotherapy and family psychoeducation. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a remote family support program for eating disorders in an RCT (randomized controlled trial). The specific objective was to conduct a small pilot RCT of the remote family support program (n=28) compared with TAU (n=28).

Conditions

Eating Disorders

Keywords

Family support, Interpersonal psychotherapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in the total Active Listening Attitude Scale (ALAS) score of participants

  The ALAS comprises 2 subscales and 20 items: listening attitude (10 items) and listening skills (10 items). Higher the scores indicate better listening attitudes or skills.

  Base-line, four weeks, and eight weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in the total Social Provisions Scale-10 item (SPS-10) score of participants

  Base-line, four weeks, and eight weeks

Other Outcomes (4)

• Loneliness

  Base-line, four weeks, and eight weeks

• Mental health

  Base-line, four weeks, and eight weeks

• Family functioning

  Base-line, four weeks, and eight weeks

Study Arms (2)

The remote family support program plus TAU

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: The remote family support program Remote family support programs consist of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and family psychoeducation.

Behavioral: The remote family support program

Treatment as Usual

NO INTERVENTION

Treatment as usual administrated by physician.

Interventions

The remote family support program BEHAVIORAL

Remote family support programs consist of interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and family psychoeducation. Each session consisted of a lecture, followed by role playing and supportive group therapy. In the first session, we informed the participants about the symptoms of eating disorders and mechanism of IPT; in the second session, we shared details about the characteristics of adolescents; and during the third and fourth sessions, we provided information on effective communication according to IPT.

The remote family support program plus TAU

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• The research participants are parents of patients who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder by a physician or have symptoms of an eating disorder; parents may or may not be related by blood.
• The ABOS score measured by the research participants at enrollment is over 8 points.
• Patient age at enrollment ranged from 12 to 29 years.
• The patient has lived with their parents at the time of participating in this study and is expected to live with them during the investigation period.
• Patients may or may not undergo treatment.
• Patients with other psychiatric comorbidities are included.
• Participants with other psychiatric comorbidities are included.
• If multiple family members (e.g., parents) participated in this program, the primary participant is determined, and that person becomes the target research participant.
• Willingness to provide informed consent and comply with the trial protocol.

You may not qualify if:

• The participants cannot read or write in Japanese
• The participants cannot use the Zoom meeting system
• Researcher of this study and their families

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Nagoya City University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Fujika Katsuki

Nagoya, Aichi-ken, 467-8601, Japan

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Katsuki F, Sawada H, Kawasaki Y, Kondo M, Yamada A, Watanabe N. Effectiveness of Remote Family Education and Support Program for Parents of Adolescents With Eating Disorders Based on Interpersonal Psychotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Eat Disord. 2025 Dec;58(12):2281-2291. doi: 10.1002/eat.24541. Epub 2025 Sep 3.

  PMID: 40899790 DERIVED

• Katsuki F, Watanabe N, Kondo M, Sawada H, Yamada A. Remote family education and support program for parents of patients with adolescent and early adulthood eating disorders based on interpersonal psychotherapy: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. J Eat Disord. 2024 May 17;12(1):61. doi: 10.1186/s40337-024-01013-z.

  PMID: 38760800 DERIVED

Related Links

• Fujika Katsuki, et. al.: Remote family education and support program for parents of patients with adolescent and early adulthood eating disorders based on interpersonal psychotherapy: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Feeding and Eating Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Fujika Katsuki, Ph.D.

  Nagoya City University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 21, 2023
• First Posted: May 3, 2023
• Study Start: March 18, 2023
• Primary Completion: August 30, 2024
• Study Completion: October 30, 2024
• Last Updated: July 29, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Locations

JP (1)