Family-Based Treatment At Home in Adolescents with Eating Disorders and Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions (F-EET)

January 20, 2025 updated by: Rik Knipschild, Karakter Kinder- en Jeugdpsychiatrie

Family-based Treatment At Home in Adolescents with Eating Disorders and Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions

The significant impact of eating disorders on adolescents necessitates the evaluation of current treatments. Family-based Treatment (FBT) is the standard treatment but has modest remission rates, highlighting the need for improvements. Assessing its effectiveness in adolescents with co-occurring mental health conditions is also crucial. In the Netherlands, there is a growing focus on home-based treatment. This study aims to enhance remission rates in FBT by adapting it for use in a home setting (FBT-H).

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.

Detailed Description

Background:

The significant impact of eating disorders on adolescents necessitates the evaluation of current treatments. Family-based Treatment (FBT) is the standard treatment but has modest remission rates, highlighting the need for improvements. Assessing its effectiveness in adolescents with co-occurring mental health conditions is also crucial. In the Netherlands, there is a growing focus on home-based treatment. This study aims to enhance remission rates in FBT by adapting it for use in a home setting (FBT-H).

Objective:

This mixed-method study combines single case studies with qualitative research. The primary objective is to assess the effects and experiences of FBT-H in adolescents with eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions across variables such as weight, eating disorder symptoms, anxiety, mood, well-being, quality of life, and family dynamics. Additionally, it explores the experiences of adolescents, parents, and practitioners with FBT-H.

Methods:

Adolescents (12-18 years old) with anorexia nervosa (AN) or other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED), alongside co-occurring mental health conditions, will participate in FBT-H, attending about two home sessions per week for 6-12 months. Ten patients will be monitored with intensive measurements over one year. Baseline assessments include somatic screening, clinical interviews, and evaluations of mood, anxiety, and family dynamics. The primary outcome is weight change from baseline to one year post treatment, and secondary outcomes (e.g., eating disorder symptoms, quality of life, parent-child relationships, and caregiving burden) are assessed at baseline and then every three months. General well-being and therapeutic relationships are tracked weekly. One-year post treatment, somatic health, and mood/anxiety symptoms will be reassessed alongside qualitative interviews with adolescents, parents, and practitioners.

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.
10

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

  • Netherlands
    • Overijssel
      • Almelo, Overijssel, Netherlands, 7522
        • Karakter

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

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • adolescents aged 12 to 18 years;
  • meeting the criteria for AN or other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED);
  • presence of co-occurring mental health conditions;
  • sufficient command of the Dutch language by adolescents and parents;
  • the family supports the treatment as a supportive system and is open to participating in the research.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • acute suicidal behaviour requiring hospitalization within the 4 weeks prior to assessment for this study;
  • cognitive limitations (IQ < 70);
  • participation of a sibling in the current study (to prevent transfer of therapy effects between siblings);
  • the adolescent does not receive tube feeding at the start of FBT-H and/or is not hospitalized due to an eating disorder at the start of treatment.

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: Sequential 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: Mixed Methods Design
To evaluate the effectiveness of FBT-H, we implemented a mixed-method approach combining a single-case design and a qualitative study. In the single-case design, 10 cases are intensively monitored throughout the FBT-H process, documenting interventions and their effects. The qualitative study complements this by gathering insights from adolescents, parents, and professionals about their experiences with FBT-H using structured interviews conducted separately with each group post-treatment to explore key topics. Together, these methods provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of FBT-H.
Behavioral: FBT-H

FBT is a structured treatment lasting 6-12 months, typically in an outpatient setting, with weekly sessions that gradually decrease in frequency over time (Lock & Le Grange, 2015). It empowers parents to manage their child's recovery from the ED. The first phase focuses on weight restoration, with parents responsible for all eating decisions and restricting physical activity to reduce ED's influence. In the second phase, eating responsibility gradually shifts back to the adolescent. The final phase supports healthy adolescent development as ED symptoms subside.

The FBT-H adapts FBT to a home setting, with treatment led by family counselors and psychologists as part of a multidisciplinary team, including therapists, psychologists, a psychiatrist and a nurse specialist.

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
Weight
Time Frame: Each session (week 1 - week 52, through study completion)
Weight - each session The weight of the adolescent in kilograms (kg) is measured weekly to monitor progress. The weight is measured by an FBT-H practitioner in an FBT-H session. The weight is measured in the same way every week (e.g., in underwear). This is a standard measurement associated with the FBT intervention and takes approximately 5 minutes.
Each session (week 1 - week 52, through study completion)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Outcome Rating Scale
Time Frame: Each session (week 1 - week 52, through study completion)
The ORS is a questionnaire in which participants indicate how they are doing in four components of their lives: personal, interpersonal, social, and general (Miller et al., 2003); translated by Hafkenscheid et al., 2003). These four components form the four items in this questionnaire, which can be answered on a scale from 0-10. There is a child and adult version of the ORS. A score of more to the left (0) indicates a negative score on the corresponding component, and a score of more to the right (10) indicates a more positive one. The internal consistency, measured by Cronbach's alpha, is .97 (26). Adolescents and their parents participating in this study will be asked to fill out this questionnaire at the beginning of each session, which requires approximately 1 minute.
Each session (week 1 - week 52, through study completion)
Session Outcome Rating Scale
Time Frame: Each session (week 1 - week 52, through study completion)
The SRS is a questionnaire in which adolescents express how they have experienced a session. The four items covered are relationship/contact, goals and topics, approach and method, and overall satisfaction. The SRS has the same setup as the previously mentioned ORS. The internal consistency, measured by Cronbach's alpha, is .88. Adolescents and parents participating in this study will be asked to fill out this questionnaire at the end of each treatment session, which takes approximately 1 minute.
Each session (week 1 - week 52, through study completion)
Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire
Time Frame: Adolescents in this study will complete the EDE-Q five times (T0 to T4)(T0 = Week 0, T1 = month 3, T2 = month 6, T3 = month 9, T4 = month 12) . It takes 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire.
The EDE-Q is a self-report questionnaire used to assess the behaviours and characteristics of ED. The EDE-Q consists of a global scale (22 items) and four subscales: restraint, eating concern, weight concern, and shape concern. Each question can be answered on a scale from 1 to 6 or with a yes/no response. Satisfactory levels of internal consistency were observed.
Adolescents in this study will complete the EDE-Q five times (T0 to T4)(T0 = Week 0, T1 = month 3, T2 = month 6, T3 = month 9, T4 = month 12) . It takes 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire.
Quality of Life
Time Frame: Adolescents and their parents are asked to complete this questionnaire five times (T0 to T4)(T0 = Week 0, T1 = month 3, T2 = month 6, T3 = month 9, T4 = month 12) and it requires 10 minutes to complete.
Kidscreen-27 is a questionnaire measuring the quality of life of children in five dimensions: physical well-being, mental well-being, parent relations and autonomy, social support (from peers), and school situation. It consists of 27 questions, each of which has five answer options. Cronbach's alpha for all scales varies between average and good.
Adolescents and their parents are asked to complete this questionnaire five times (T0 to T4)(T0 = Week 0, T1 = month 3, T2 = month 6, T3 = month 9, T4 = month 12) and it requires 10 minutes to complete.
Parent-Child Interaction Questionnaire-Revised
Time Frame: The OKIV-R is administered a total of five times to both adolescents and their parents (T0 to T4)(T0 = Week 0, T1 = month 3, T2 = month 6, T3 = month 9, T4 = month 12) . The duration to complete the questionnaire is approximately10 minutes.
The OKIV-R consists of questionnaires that measure how parents view the relationship with their child and how children view the relationship with their parents. The child-mother, child-father, and parent-child versions are available. It has 21 statements, and each statement has five answer options varying from never (1) to always (5). The revised version of the OKIV (OKIV-R) has high internal consistency.
The OKIV-R is administered a total of five times to both adolescents and their parents (T0 to T4)(T0 = Week 0, T1 = month 3, T2 = month 6, T3 = month 9, T4 = month 12) . The duration to complete the questionnaire is approximately10 minutes.
Parenting Burden Questionnaire (Opvoedingsbelasting Vragenlijst (OBVL)
Time Frame: The OBVL is administered a total of five times to parents participating in this study (T0 to T4)(T0 = Week 0, T1 = month 3, T2 = month 6, T3 = month 9, T4 = month 12) , and it requires 15 minutes of their time.
The OBVL is a questionnaire for parents about experiencing stress in parenting (Veerman et al., 2014).The OBVL consists of five scales (34 questions): parent-child relationship, parenting competence (7), depressive moods (7), role limitations (6), and health complaints (8). Each question has four answers that the parent can choose, varying from do not agree to totally agree. The scales of the OBVL have a reliability between .90 and .96 (McDonald's Omega).
The OBVL is administered a total of five times to parents participating in this study (T0 to T4)(T0 = Week 0, T1 = month 3, T2 = month 6, T3 = month 9, T4 = month 12) , and it requires 15 minutes of their time.

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.
Karakter Kinder- en Jeugdpsychiatrie

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.
November 1, 2023

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.
April 1, 2026

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.
April 1, 2026

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).
January 8, 2025

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.
January 20, 2025

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.
March 25, 2025

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.
March 25, 2025

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.
January 20, 2025

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.
January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • 210-21

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Due to persmissions

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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