NCT02419326

Uniting Couples In the Treatment of Eating Disorders (UNITE)

Uniting Couples In the Treatment of Eating Disorders (UNITE): Pilot Study for a Couple-based Intervention for Binge-eating Disorder

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 11 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

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).

Detailed 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.

Conditions

• Binge-eating Disorder
• Eating Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Psychotherapy treatment	UNITE is a manualized, 22-session CBCT (cognitive behavioral couples therapy) intervention that engages the couple to target the core psychopathology of BED and address the uniquely challenging stress that BED places on intimate relationships.

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-09-01
• Primary completion: 2016-10-01
• Completion: 2016-10-01
• First posted: 2015-04-17
• Last updated: 2016-10-27

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States