Online guided family treatment for teens with anorexia nervosa
Confirming the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Online Guided Self-Help Family-Based Treatment for Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa
An online guided self-help family program designed to help teenagers with anorexia nervosa regain healthy weight and eating attitudes while using less therapist time than standard family therapy.
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 ID | NIH-11139593 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your teen has anorexia, this project compares an online guided family-based program that families use with brief coach support to the usual family-based therapy delivered by therapists. Families follow structured online lessons and meet briefly with a trained guide while researchers track weight, eating-related thoughts, and recovery over time. The trial is randomized and runs at multiple clinical sites to see how the online approach works in real-world care, building on earlier pilot work. If confirmed, the online option could make effective treatment easier to find and use for more families.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescents diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and their families who are appropriate for family-based treatment and able to participate in online sessions are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Teens with severe medical instability, those for whom family-based approaches are inappropriate, or families unable to use online tools may not benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could expand access to effective family-based treatment and allow more teens to get timely care by reducing required therapist time.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier pilot studies and a multisite randomized feasibility trial found similar improvements in weight and eating cognitions with guided self-help family treatment while using about 75% less therapist time.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lock, James D — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Lock, James D
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 below.