Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits in Anorexia Nervosa 2.0 (REACH+)

November 4, 2026 updated by: Joanna Steinglass, New York State Psychiatric Institute

Making the MOST of Relapse Prevention in Anorexia Nervosa: A Treatment Optimization Study Targeting Habits

This study aims to optimize a treatment package for the relapse prevention treatment of AN. In the current Optimization Phase, we will identify which components of treatment contribute to positive outcomes after structured treatment. We will carefully evaluate maintenance of remission, measured by rate of weight loss and end-of-trial status.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

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

Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+) targets the habitual control of maladaptive behavior to support patients with AN in the 6 months after acute treatment, a time of high vulnerability to relapse. Using the Multiphase Optimization STrategy (MOST) framework, we seek to identify an optimized, finalized, treatment package for relapse prevention in AN. The MOST framework is an ideal means for improving treatment efficacy by simultaneously and efficiently evaluating multiple possible intervention components to determine which contribute to positive treatment outcomes and thereby merit inclusion in a robust treatment package for relapse prevention. We will test variations versions of intervention components that together support remission.

We will provide 6 months of REACH+ for 120 individuals with AN or atypical AN who have completed an acute weight-restoration treatment. REACH+ sessions are conducted via telehealth and are augmented with psychoeducation and skill building through an online platform. Participants will be randomly assigned to different versions of each treatment component. Optimization criteria focus on the contribution of the component to remission status (main effect), and will additionally consider effect sizes, treatment adherence, and end-of-treatment status.

To ensure that the final treatment package will reach the patients we seek to help, we will obtain input from key end-users to plan for future effectiveness research.

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.
120

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10032
        • New York State Psychiatric Institute
        • Contact:

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

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • DSM-5 diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa or Atypical Anorexia Nervosa
  • Completed acute treatment, including achieving weight-restoration
  • Has a medical treatment provider (e.g. primary care doctor) who can be made aware that the patient is participating in the study
  • Medically stable
  • Access to internet-connected device with videoconferencing capability
  • Will reside (after acute treatment discharge) in a state where a study therapist is licensed
  • Not seeking or engaging in additional psychotherapy outside of the study (support groups are allowed)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current substance use disorder or other co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses that requires specialized treatment
  • Pregnant
  • High risk of suicide
  • Current serious medical illness
  • Daily medications that impact weight

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial 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: Do, Accept, Values, Long-Term Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food Monitoring - Long-Term: Use of food logs for duration of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Accept, Values, Short-Term Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Values: Idenitfying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food-Monitoring - Short-Term: Use of food logs for first 6 weeks of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Accept, Values, No Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food-Monitoring - None: No recommendation for food records or logs during treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Accept, Narrative, Long-Term Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food Monitoring - Long-Term: Use of food logs for duration of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Accept, Narrative, Short-Term Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food-Monitoring - Short-Term: Use of food logs for first 6 weeks of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Accept, Narrative, No Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food-Monitoring - None: No recommendation for food records or logs during treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Change, Values, Long-Term Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food Monitoring - Long-Term: Use of food logs for duration of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Change, Values, Short-Term Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food-Monitoring - Short-Term: Use of food logs for first 6 weeks of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Change, Values, No Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food-Monitoring - None: No recommendation for food records or logs during treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Change, Narrative, Long-Term Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food Monitoring - Long-Term: Use of food logs for duration of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Change, Narrative, Short-Term Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food-Monitoring - Short-Term: Use of food logs for first 6 weeks of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Do, Change, Narrative, No Food Logs

Behavior Do: Including in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food-Monitoring - None: No recommendation for food records or logs during treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Accept, Values, Long-Term Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food Monitoring - Long-Term: Use of food logs for duration of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Accept, Values, Short-Term Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food-Monitoring - Short-Term: Use of food logs for first 6 weeks of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Accept, Values, No Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food-Monitoring - None: No recommendation for food records or logs during treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Accept, Narrative, Long-Term Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food Monitoring - Long-Term: Use of food logs for duration of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Accept, Narrative, Short-Term Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food-Monitoring - Short-Term: Use of food logs for first 6 weeks of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Accept, Narrative, No Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Accept: Mindfully accepting of unhelpful thoughts as passing mental phenomena that need not guide behavior. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food-Monitoring - None: No recommendation for food records or logs during treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Change, Values, Long-Term Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food Monitoring - Long-Term: Use of food logs for duration of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Change, Values, Short-Term Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food-Monitoring - Short-Term: Use of food logs for first 6 weeks of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Change, Values, No Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Values: Identifying individual motivators for recovery and opportunities to expand upon non-eating disorder aspects of identity. Food-Monitoring - None: No recommendation for food records or logs during treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Change, Narrative, Long-Term Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food Monitoring - Long-Term: Use of food logs for duration of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Change, Narrative, Short-Term Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food-Monitoring - Short-Term: Use of food logs for first 5 weeks of treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy
Experimental: Talk, Change, Narrative, No Food Logs

Behavior Talk: Discussion of recent eating and plans for upcoming eating; absence of in-session eating experiments. Thought Change: Monitoring and actively challenging distorted thoughts. Motivation Through Narratives: Using stories of others with lived experience (e.g., writing, podcasts) to appreciate long-term dangers of AN and the opportunity for symptom resolution with sustained recovery, without discussion of individualized motivators. Food-Monitoring - None: No recommendation for food records or logs during treatment.
Behavioral: Relapse Prevention and Changing Habits (REACH+ 2.0)

Psychotherapy

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 maintenance
Time Frame: 6-month end of treatment

Measured via weight loss (in lbs) following discharge from acute treatment program
6-month end of treatment

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
Habit strength
Time Frame: 6-month end of treatment

Measured via Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI)
6-month end of treatment
Weight/shape distortion
Time Frame: 6-month end of treatment

Measured via Eating Disorder Examination, Questionnaire Version (EDE-Q)
6-month end of treatment
Intrinsic motivation
Time Frame: 6-month end of treatment

Measured via General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES)
6-month end of treatment
Dietary restriction
Time Frame: 6-month end of treatment

Measured via Food Choice Task
6-month end of treatment
Skill consolidation
Time Frame: 6-month end of treatment

Measured via platform utilization time
6-month end of treatment

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.
New York State Psychiatric Institute

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Columbia University
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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 (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2026

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.
June 30, 2030

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.
June 30, 2030

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).
November 4, 2026

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.
November 4, 2026

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.
November 10, 2026

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.
November 10, 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.
November 4, 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.
November 1, 2026

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.
  • NYSPI2025-82
  • 1R01MH141008-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

This study will offer participants the opportunity to share data with the National Data Archive. This is not a requirement of participation.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings