Novel Group Parent Training Program for Anorexia Nervosa

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DESCRIPTION (provided by candidate): This mentored K23 award in patient-oriented research for Dr. Nancy Zucker, sponsored by Dr. Cynthia Bulik, describes a rigorous five year training program in the area of treatment development for eating disorders, initially for anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa continues to have one of the highest mortality rates among psychiatric disorders, yet the most efficacious manner in which to treat this disorder continues to be debated. Completion of this training program will allow Dr. Zucker to adapt treatment models that have been effective in the management of other childhood disorders to adolescents with eating disorders and their families. She will receive further advanced training in child and adolescent cognitive development, child and family treatment approaches, and research design. She will use this advanced instruction to further develop and pilot a group parent training program for the management of anorexia nervosa. The specific aims of this proposal are: 1) to examine the preliminary efficacy of a group parent-training program on adolescent eating disorder symptoms; 2) to examine changes in parent variables that have been reported to impact treatment outcome, 3) to examine changes in family functioning, and 4) to examine the treatment acceptability of the intervention. The intervention combines skills in behavior modification and dialectical behavior therapy while targeting parent variables that have been reported in families of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Dr. Zucker will conduct a two-stage research design. Phase 1 will consist of focus groups comprised of members of parent training groups that Dr. Zucker has previously conducted. Results from Phase I will be used to improve the intervention. She will then subject the improved intervention to a pilot, pre-post, randomized design to assess preliminary efficacy in Phase 2. This initial trial will lead to further enhancements of the program, will define the populations most suited to a group parent-training model, will permit exploration of potential mechanisms of action, and will highlight additional participant needs for further treatment development. Pilot data from this proposal will place her in a position to apply for funding via the R01 mechanism to subject the intervention to more systematic study. Thus, the coursework, training workshops, and mentored research experiences will allow Dr. Zucker to combine effective approaches for alternative childhood disorders with advanced training in cognitive development to design approaches for the treatment of adolescent eating disorders.