Background:
Outpatient interventions for adult anorexia nervosa typically have a modest impact on weight and eating disorder symptomatology. This study examined whether adding a brief online intervention focused on enhancing motivation to change and the development of a recovery identity (RecoveryMANTRA) would improve outcomes in adults with anorexia nervosa.
Methods:
Participants with anorexia nervosa (n = 187) were recruited from 22 eating disorder outpatient services throughout the UK. They were randomised to receiving RecoveryMANTRA in addition to treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 99; experimental group) or TAU only (n = 88; control group). Outcomes were measured at end-of-intervention (6 weeks), 6 and 12 months.
Results:
Adherence rates to RecoveryMANTRA were 83% for the online guidance sessions and 77% for the use of self-help materials (workbook and/or short video clips). Group differences in body mass index at 6 weeks (primary outcome) were not significant. Group differences in eating disorder symptoms, psychological wellbeing and work and social adjustment (at 6 weeks and at follow-up) were not significant, except for a trend-level greater reduction in anxiety at 6 weeks in the RecoveryMANTRA group (p = 0.06). However, the RecoveryMANTRA group had significantly higher levels of confidence in own ability to change (p = 0.02) and alliance with the therapist at the outpatient service (p = 0.005) compared to the control group at 6 weeks.
Conclusions:
Augmenting outpatient treatment for adult anorexia nervosa with a focus on recovery and motivation produced short-term reductions in anxiety and increased confidence to change and therapeutic alliance.

Cardi, Valentina, Gaia Albano, Suman Ambwani, Li Cao, Ross D. Crosby, Pamela Macdonald, Ulrike Schmidt, and Janet Treasure. A Randomised Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Acceptability and Efficacy of an Early Phase, Online, Guided Augmentation of Outpatient Care for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa. Psychological Medicine 50, no. 15 (2020): 2610 - 2621. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719002824

Suman Ambwani is a professor of Psychology at Dickinson College.

For more information on the published version, visit Cambridge University Press's Website. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/abs/randomised-clinical-trial-to-evaluate-the-acceptability-and-efficacy-of-an-early-phase-online-guided-augmentation-of-outpatient-care-for-adults-with-anorexia-nervosa/CDEAF341094B09AC83805F585F5831A6

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