Smart Technology for Anorexia Nervosa Recovery

Summary

Anorexia nervosa (AN) has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, with a typical onset in adolescence. Although family-based interventions are efficacious for up to 75 percent of adolescents with AN, approximately 30 percent will relapse after recovery. There is a critical need to improve treatments and prevent post-discharge relapse following acute treatment to improve outcomes for adolescents with AN.

To address this critical need, the investigators developed an adaptive smart-phone based therapy support tool for teens with AN, called Smart Treatment for Anorexia Recovery (STAR). STAR is for adolescents between the ages of 13-21 who recently received acute treatment for AN (e.g., inpatient, residential, intensive outpatient, or day hospital) who are currently working with an outpatient therapist. STAR incorporates elements from the Unified Protocol and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to target emotion avoidance, which the investigators hypothesize will lead to reductions in eating-disorder behaviors. The investigators will compare STAR to Present-focused Anorexia Nervosa Coping Treatment (PACT), which focuses on current life stressors and problems.

The investigators' hypothesis is that STAR will improve outpatient treatment response and reduce relapse in adolescents discharged from intensive treatment for AN. The investigators will evaluate their hypotheses in two conditions: 1) STAR app and 2) PACT app. In both conditions, participants must be working with an individual outpatient therapist.

Conditions

• Anorexia Nervosa

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Smart-Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa Recovery (STAR)

Adolescents will use their smartphone to access short 5-10 minute "modules" that teach them about the function of emotions, ways to regulate challenging emotions, and strategies to improve negative thinking, mood, and reduce eating-disorder symptoms. Module content will include text, images, videos, and interactive questions and quizzes.

BEHAVIORAL

Present-focused Anorexia Nervosa Coping Treatment (PACT)

Adolescents will use their smartphone to access two brief psychoeducational modules that teach about the common symptoms of AN, common reactions and problems associated with AN, and goals for treatment. Starting in Week 3, adolescents will complete a Daily Diary that will ask them to record life stressors, challenges, and problems, which will serve as a launching point for discussion with their outpatient therapist.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City

  collaborator OTHER

• Purdue University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Kansas

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kelsie Forbush, PhD · University of Kansas

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

13 Years

Max Age

21 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-05-08

Primary Completion

2024-06-30

Completion

2024-06-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations