Evaluation of a Twenty-session Cognitive-behavioral Therapy With Anorexia Nervosa (CBT-20-AN) Among Adults (18+)

July 27, 2026 updated by: Kendra R. Becker, Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital

Twenty-session Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Adults With Anorexia Nervosa (CBT-20-AN)

The study is a clinical trial assessing the efficacy of a new twenty session cognitive behavioral therapy for adults (18+) with anorexia nervosa (AN) and atypical anorexia nervosa. It is expected that participants will gain a significant amount of weight and experience a significant decrease in eating disorder psychopathology and behavior from pre- to post- treatment and that this will be retained after 6-months.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Eligible patients must meet DSM-5 criteria for anorexia nervosa. This diagnosis can be conferred via the EDE 17.0D.
  2. Age > 18
  3. Patients must be able to provide informed consent and comply with the study procedures.
  4. Patients must be able to complete computer-based self-report questionnaires with adequate accommodation, if necessary.
  5. Patients must have a primary care physician, Adolescent Medicine physician, or consulting physician with eating disorder expertise at Massachusetts General Hospital/Massachusetts General Brigham network who can provide ongoing medical monitoring while the patient takes part in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients will be excluded if they exhibit:

  1. BMI < 15, obtained via patient medical chart or from study 2023P000469 or 2018P002915.
  2. HR <55 or >100, obtained via patient medical chart or from study 2023P000469 or 2018P002915.
  3. Systolic BP (SBP and DBP) <80 or >160, obtained via patient medical chart or from study 2023P000469 or 2018P002915.
  4. Temperature < 96.5 F, obtained via patient medical chart or from study 2023P000469 or 2018P002915.
  5. Not eating food by mouth and/or any tube feeding, per EDE
  6. Purging > 4x/week, per EDE.
  7. Active suicidality (suicidal ideation with intent or plan) to the point that more intensive treatment (i.e. acute hospitalization) is required
  8. Active untreated and unstable bipolar disorder (i.e. stable bipolar disorder under care of a psychiatrist is allowed)
  9. Psychosis
  10. Intellectual disability
  11. Any condition that, after the baseline evaluation, is determined to preclude treatment with CBT.
  12. Concurrent psychotherapy. Patients must be willing to take a pause from any ongoing psychotherapy in order to focus on CBT-AN-20, which is in alignment with standard clinical care.
  13. Symptoms that are not appropriate for outpatient level of care and therefore require a higher level of care (i.e. BMI <15 or purging more than 4x/week)
  14. Homicidal ideation
  15. Inability to speak English well enough to engage in CBT

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: CBT-20-AN
The single CBT-20-AN arm of this study is experimental, consisting of 20 weekly sessions and one-month, three-month, and six-month follow-ups.
Behavioral: Twenty Session Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (CBT-20-AN)
Twenty session cognitive behavioral therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (CBT-20-AN) is an treatment for Anorexia Nervosa and Atypical Anorexia Nervosa delivered by a mental health clinician. This treatment (CBT-20-AN) lasts just 20 sessions and has been designed to allow individuals with AN to reap the benefits of CBT for eating disorders (up to 40 sessions) in less time, increasing access to care and shortening time to symptom reduction.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patient weight
Time Frame: Change from study treatment week one to final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weekly study treatment sessions), and to the one, three, and six-month follow-up session, up to 11 months after week one.
Weight collected at each session.
Change from study treatment week one to final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weekly study treatment sessions), and to the one, three, and six-month follow-up session, up to 11 months after week one.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7)
Time Frame: Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.
A 7-item scale that measures symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), such as feeling anxious or nervous, having trouble relaxing, irritability, and feelings of dread. Scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores reflecting higher general anxiety.
Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.
Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 (PHQ-9)
Time Frame: Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.
A 9-item scale that measures symptoms of depression. Scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores reflecting higher depression.
Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.
Eating Disorder Examination Interview (EDE)
Time Frame: Change from baseline assessed at screen visit to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after baseline assessment.
A semi-structured interview designed to assess current eating disorder psychopathology.
Change from baseline assessed at screen visit to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after baseline assessment.
Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q6)
Time Frame: Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.
A 33-item self-report questionnaire that assesses the presence of eating disorders symptoms in the past 28 days. Eating Disorder examination questionnaire (EDE-Q 6.0) Scores range from 0 to 6, with higher scores reflecting higher eating disorder behaviors and attitudes.
Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.
Eating Disorder - 15 Scale (ED-15)
Time Frame: Change from study treatment week one to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weekly study treatment session), and to the one, three, and six-month follow-up session, up to 11 months after week one.
A 15-item self-report measure that assesses eating disorder symptoms and behaviors, designed to measure session-by-session change for clinical and research purposes. Scores range from 0 to 6, with higher scores reflecting higher disordered eating attitudes and behaviors.
Change from study treatment week one to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weekly study treatment session), and to the one, three, and six-month follow-up session, up to 11 months after week one.
Working Alliance Inventory Short (WAI-SR)
Time Frame: Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to the six-month follow-up session, up to 11 months after week one.
A 12-item self-report measure that assess therapeutic alliance between the patient and therapist. (i.e., how comfortable the patient feels with the therapist, how much they trust the therapist, how much they feel the therapist is working towards their desired treatment goals, etc.). Scores range from 5 to 20, with higher scores reflecting higher therapeutic alliance.
Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to the six-month follow-up session, up to 11 months after week one.
General Self-Efficacy Measure-Short Form
Time Frame: Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to the six-month follow-up session, up to 11 months after week one.
A 6-item, short form assessment of the patient's perception of their own general self-efficacy. Scores range from 10 to 40, with higher scores reflecting higher self-efficacy.
Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to the six-month follow-up session, up to 11 months after week one.
Approach/Avoidance of Weighing Questionnaire (AAWQ)
Time Frame: Change from baseline assessed at screen visit to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after baseline assessment.
A 9-item, self-report questionnaire that assesses approach and avoidance weighing tendencies. Items 1-3 are summed to provide the approach weighing tendency subscale and items 4-6 are summed to provide the avoidance weighing tendency subscale, with scores ranging from 3-18. Higher scores on each subscale indicate a higher degree of that subscale's weighing tendency.
Change from baseline assessed at screen visit to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after baseline assessment.
Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) - Restriction subscale
Time Frame: Change from baseline assessed at screen visit to session 20 and post-treatment following final session, an average of 20-25 weeks after baseline assessment.
An 18-item, self-report questionnaire that assesses the presence and severity of restriction.
Change from baseline assessed at screen visit to session 20 and post-treatment following final session, an average of 20-25 weeks after baseline assessment.
Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) - Drive for Thinness and Body Dissatisfaction subscales
Time Frame: Change from baseline assessed at screen visit to session 20 and post-treatment following final session, an average of 20-25 weeks after baseline assessment.
Subscales from the self-report EDI-3 questionnaire that will be used to assess the presence of both drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction. The drive for thinness subscale is 7 items and body dissatisfaction subscale is 10 items.
Change from baseline assessed at screen visit to session 20 and post-treatment following final session, an average of 20-25 weeks after baseline assessment.
Clinical Impairment Assessment Questionnaire (CIA)
Time Frame: Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.
A 16-item self-report measure of the severity of psychosocial impairment due to eating disorder features.
Change from week one of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.
Quality of life questions
Time Frame: Change from week six of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.
A set of two qualitative questions, developed by the study team, which assess improvements in quality of life since starting treatment ("How has your life improved since beginning treatment?") and areas still needing improvement ("What areas of your life could still be improved?").
Change from week six of study treatment to post-treatment following final session, an average of 25 weeks after week one (measured at weeks one, six, and twenty), and to one, three, and six-month follow-up sessions, up to 11 months after week one.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 22, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 31, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 31, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 18, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 12, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 19, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 27, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2023P002713

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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