Uniting Couples In the Treatment of Eating Disorders (UNITE)

University of North Carolina (UNC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Eating Disorder; Binge-eating Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Psychotherapy treatment

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02419326

14-1599

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel couple-based intervention for binge-eating disorder (BED).

Full description

Although current individual treatments exist for BED (e.g., cognitive-behavior therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy) about 20% of individuals who complete treatment and who are abstinent from binge eating post-treatment relapse within one year. In addition, dropout of BED treatment is high (approximately 10 - 33%), indicating that a significant number of individuals with BED fail to achieve relief from their symptoms. Couple-based interventions, which enlist the support of a partner into the treatment setting, are effective for treating anxiety and depression--frequently comorbid conditions with BED. Preliminary findings of couple-based treatment for anorexia nervosa suggests it assists in reducing drop out and improving outcome. Thus, the investigators developed a novel couple-based intervention for adult BED (UNITE-BED Edition) and plan to investigate it in an open treatment trial to examine it's feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. Both patients and partners will be involved in all psychotherapy sessions of the treatment. Couples' progress will be followed for three months after completion of active treatment.

Enrollment: 11 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Participant with BED:

1. Subject currently meets criteria for BED or sub-threshold symptoms, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th Ed)
2. Concurrent outpatient therapy and medical monitoring
3. Health insurance coverage

Both members of the couple:

1. English speaking and able to read
2. Involved in a committed relationship for at least 6 months regardless of sexual orientation (couple is not required to live together)
3. Willing to participate in treatment

Exclusion criteria

Participant with BED:

1. Post-bariatric

Both members of the couple:

1. Alcohol or drug dependence in the last year
2. Current significant suicidal ideation
3. Severe depression that would seriously interfere with functional capacity
4. Developmental disability that would impair the ability to benefit from intervention
5. Any psychosis, schizophrenia, or bipolar I disorder, unless stably remitted on maintenance therapy for at least 1 year
6. Moderate to high levels of physical violence from either partner as reported on the Conflict Tactics Scale-2 at pre-treatment
7. Unwillingness to forgo non-protocol concurrent couples therapy
8. Previously participated in the preliminary couples treatment study UCAN: Uniting Couples (in the treatment of) Anorexia Nervosa (NCT01740752)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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11 participants in 1 patient group

Couples

Experimental group

Description:

The patient and their significant other receive psychotherapy treatment for the patient's BED.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Psychotherapy treatment