Comparing randomized controlled trials of outpatient family-based or inpatient multimodal treatment followed by outpatient care in youth with anorexia nervosa: Differences in populations, metrics, and outcomes.

Objective: Various approaches exist to treat youth with anorexia nervosa (AN). Family-based treatment (FBT) has never been compared to long inpatient, multimodal treatment (IMT) in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The aim of this study was to compare data on body weight trajectories, change in eating disorder psychopathology, hospital days and treatment costs in RCTs delivering FBT or IMT.

The Impact of Inpatient Multimodal Treatment or Family-Based Treatment on Six-Month Weight Outcomes in Youth with Anorexia Nervosa: A Naturalistic, Cross-Continental Comparison.

In the USA, family-based treatment (FBT) with inpatient medical stabilization as needed is the leading evidence-based treatment for youth with anorexia nervosa (AN). In continental Europe, typically inpatient multimodal treatment targeting weight recovery followed by outpatient care (IMT) is standard care, if prior outpatient treatment was not sufficient. Our aim was to compare weekly weight gain and hospital days over six months for adolescents receiving FBT (USA) versus IMT (Germany) using naturalistic treatment data.