Eating Disorders Clinical Research Network

Summary

UK Eating Disorder services are facing unprecedented demand, with effective service delivery hampered by inadequate resources, fragmented services and variable care pathways. Individuals with eating disorders, families and clinicians all agree on the critical need to improve care pathways and treatment, leading to better outcomes.

Eating disorders are serious, complex conditions influenced by a blend of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. The approach of this project is grounded in the "biopsychosocial" model. Recently, anorexia research confirms a genetic component, with biological, metabolic, and psychological mechanisms at play. Further biological research across eating disorders could allow a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying eating disorder development and better, more personalised treatments.

This project will test the feasibility of establishing a UK-wide NHS research network spanning child and adult eating disorder services to enable a step change in the ability to conduct eating disorder research. It will help address fragmentation and facilitate novel biological, psychological, and social research collaborations. The data the investigators gather will be open to all researchers for data analyses, and the collaborations established will form a collaborative network to enable future clinical trials, experimental medicine and psychology.

The study will be conducted at child and adult eating disorder services who opt to join the Network. Participants will be patients receiving treatment for an eating disorder at one of the participating services, and their parents/guardians if applicable.

Participants will complete questionnaires and have blood and other physical tests as specified in the EDCRN dataset. The study will last until 29th October 2026 (the end of the current funding period) and/or when a participant is discharged from treatment, whichever is sooner. For participants discharged before the study ends, there will be an opportunity for patients to complete optional follow-up questionnaires on a periodic basis.

Conditions

• Eating Disorders

Interventions

OTHER

EDCRN questionnaires

Participants will complete questionnaires and have blood and other physical tests as specified in the EDCRN dataset.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

  collaborator OTHER

• Imperial College London

  collaborator OTHER

• University College, London

  collaborator OTHER

• Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

  collaborator OTHER

• Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust

  collaborator OTHER

• King's College London

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Gerome Breen, PhD · King's College London (KCL)

• Karina Allen, PhD · South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM)

Eligibility

Min Age

8 Years

Max Age

100 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-10-01

Primary Completion

2026-10-29

Completion

2026-10-29