Guided Online Self-Help Family-Based Treatment for Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa
Official title: Confirming the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Online Guided Self-Help Family-Based Treatment for Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11396442 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study tests if an online guided self-help version of family-based treatment works as well as standard treatment for teens with anorexia nervosa, in real-world clinics.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $534,963 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH130388-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396442 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents with anorexia nervosa and their families who are receiving treatment at participating sites.
✕Less likely to help
Teens who do not respond to behavioral interventions or who require alternative therapies may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project compares two treatments for adolescents with anorexia nervosa in real clinics: a guided self-help version delivered online and the traditional family-based treatment. It builds on prior work showing similar improvements with greater efficiency for GSH-FBT and aims to confirm its effectiveness in general clinical settings. Researchers will measure mental and weight-related health outcomes, track how quickly improvements occur, and examine how therapists feel about using the online approach. The study leverages Stanford’s strengths in implementation science to understand how best to scale a proven treatment. If successful, it could make effective care more accessible to more families.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more teens could receive effective treatment faster and at lower cost, expanding access to care.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier multisite work showed similar improvements between GSH-FBT and standard FBT with good retention and safety.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lock, James D — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Lock, James D
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.