Can group family therapy help teens beat anorexia?
NCT ID NCT06203418
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 18, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests a multi-family therapy program for teens aged 11–18 with anorexia nervosa and their families. The therapy brings several families together to share support and learn skills for meal support and emotional regulation. Researchers will track weight, eating disorder symptoms, and emotional well-being over time to see if this approach helps.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Multi-family therapy (behavioral intervention)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this therapy could offer a more supportive and effective way for families to help teens recover from anorexia nervosa.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with no control group, so results may not prove the therapy works better than standard care. The intervention is intensive and may not suit all families.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2020
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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11 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * English speaking * living at home with at least one parent/guardian * diagnosis of restricting eating disorder * 11-18 years of age * Medically stable per medical clearance form Exclusion Criteria: * Active psychosis (parent or child) * Current dependence on drug or alcohol (parent or child) * Past history/current abuse (sexual/physical), neglect
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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