Group skills training for parents of adolescents with anorexia nervosa: a pilot evaluation

ABSTRACT

Objective

This pilot study evaluated group skills training for parents of adolescents with anorexia nervosa, an adjunct to family-based treatment (FBT).

Method

Training was provided in two formats (six weekly sessions or a two-day intensive) to 22 parents who were in any way engaged with FBT with their child and had been referred from public and private services providing eating disorder treatment to young people. Program feedback, perceived outcomes of the group, and parental wellbeing were assessed using self-report. Child height and weight were also collected. Data were collected at pre- and post-intervention and 3-month follow-up.

Results

The training was rated as being very helpful and relevant. It resulted in significant perceived improvements in understanding, knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing eating/the eating disorder. No changes in parent wellbeing or child body mass index were found.

Conclusion

Parent group skills training improves understanding, knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing eating/the eating disorder. An intensive format of delivery seems as feasible as the per protocol weekly sessions.

KEY POINTS

What is already known about this topic:

1. Current treatments for child and adolescent anorexia nervosa require parents to take a central role in refeeding their child e.g., family-based therapy and parent focused therapy.

2. Research in the United Kingdom (UK) (Nicholls, & Yi, 2012) has demonstrated that parent group skills training provided as an early intervention adjunct to treatment improves early weight gain in children and better treatment outcomes.

3. To date, the impact of the group on carer wellbeing has not been evaluated.

What this topic adds:

1. This Australian study was the first pilot study outside of the UK to evaluate this group skills training for parents of children with anorexia nervosa, demonstrating that parents find it very helpful and relevant, and increased perceived improvements in understanding, knowledge, skills, and confidence in managing their child’s eating/eating disorder.

2. An intensive format for group skills training seemed as acceptable to parents as weekly meetings.

3. There was no impact on carers' wellbeing and future groups should seek to include content on self-care.

KEYWORDS:

• Anorexia nervosa
• family-based therapy
• adolescent
• group skills training
• parents

Acknowledgments

Thank you to all members of the Statewide Eating Disorder team and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services who support data collection and clinical services.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.