UCAN: Uniting Couples in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa

Innovative Trial for the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa in Late Adolescence and Adulthood

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00928109

Acronym

UCAN

Enrollment

Registered

2009-06-25

Start date

2008-04-30

Completion date

2012-06-30

Last updated

2012-11-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Anorexia Nervosa

Keywords

eating disorders, couples therapy

Brief summary

UCAN is a research program funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and is part of the UNC Eating Disorders Program. UCAN aims to help couples work together in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Couples participate in UCAN over a period of six months and return for follow-up treatment three months after the end of the original six-month period. Patients receive weekly individual therapy, monthly psychiatry consultations, monthly dietary consultations in addition to being randomized to one of two types of weekly couples therapy. Participation in UCAN can help participants gain new confidence in facing anorexia as a team and can help us understand how best to involve partners in the treatment of eating disorders.

Detailed description

Patients receive comprehensive eating disorder treatment at the UNC Eating Disorders Outpatient Program in addition to couples therapy. Eligibility: Participants may be eligible if they are 18 or older, have anorexia nervosa and are currently living with a partner with whom they have been in a committed relationship for at least a year. The partner must also be willing to enter treatment.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALCBCT

Cognitive Behavioral Couples Therapy - weekly manualized couples therapy

BEHAVIORALFamily Supportive Therapy

Couples meet once a week for an hour for a period of 20 weeks for couples therapy. Family Supportive Therapy is not manualized and is the standard form of care at the UNC Eating Disorders Program

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Anorexia Nervosa, * 18 years or older, * BMI 16 or higher, * In a committed relationship with a partner for 1 year or longer and currently living together.

Exclusion criteria

* Alcohol or drug dependence in past year, * Current significant suicidal ideation, * Developmental disability that would impair the ability of the participant to benefit from the intervention, * Psychosis, * BMI less than 16.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Eating disorder behavior	9 months

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Couple Satisfaction	9 months

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026