How are families included in the treatment of adults affected by eating disorders? A scoping review

Abstract

Objective The involvement of families in the treatment of adults with eating disorders is recommended as a core component of comprehensive care, yet little is known about the optimal way to implement or routinely facilitate this. This article evaluates the recent evidence on the inclusion of families in treatment programs for adults with eating disorders. Method A systematic literature search was conducted to identify evidence of family inclusive treatment approaches for adults with eating disorders. A scoping review framework was applied to assess and synthesize findings. Results Sixty‐eight studies were identified. Substantial conceptual research contributing to the theoretical basis of current practice with families of adults with eating disorders and clinical applications in current use were identified. Most research used uncontrolled studies with few experimental designs, reflecting the standing of the extant literature. Common elements of existing approaches have been distinguished and shared core components of interventions identified. Discussion Results confirmed that family members of adults were willing to be involved with eating disorder treatment services and appeared to respond to interventions of varying intensity and duration. The impact on individual patients, and effect on treatment outcomes, are yet to be established. The localized settings of existing studies, the homogenous nature of interventions used, and the limited diversity in research subjects, make it difficult to generalize from the results to the wide range of adult eating disorder presentations seen in practice. Suggestions for future research and further clinical developments are discussed.

Multi‐family therapy for eating disorders: A systematic scoping review of the quantitative and qualitative findings

“…Given MFT can provide early, intensive support, that focuses on both patient and family factors, it has great potential to improve upon current treatment outcomes either as a stand‐alone or adjunctive intervention. Its use also fits with practice guidelines, which increasingly suggest involving family members in child, adolescent, and adult treatments (Fleming, Le Brocque, & Healy, 2020 ; Hilbert, Hoek, & Schmidt, 2017 ; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2017; Treasure, Parker, Oyeleye, & Harrison, 2021 ).…”

Management of eating disorders for people with higher weight: clinical practice guideline

“…However, some family inclusive interventions have been evaluated. The most established is Maudsley collaborative care [ 65 , 66 ]. This model educates carers of adults with anorexia nervosa to support their loved one with strategies that target maintaining aspects of the illness.…”

Anorexia and Young Womens’ Personal Networks: Size, Structure, and Kinship

“…Furthermore, people in the general population also report that almost half of their personal network consists of relatives, and this figure holds across different country samples ( Wellman and Wortley, 1989 ; Dunbar and Spoors, 1995 ; Grossetti, 2007 ). Because the quality of family relationships could influence the success of psychotherapy ( Sapin et al, 2016 ; Fleming et al, 2021 ), we suggest cautious interpretations of the proportion of kin in the personal networks of people with psychological problems. Women with mental health problems who experience overload and ego-centered conflict in family relationships could show patterns of evaluated psychological distress ( Sapin et al, 2016 ; Tournier et al, 2021 ).…”