The Renfrew Unified Treatment for Eating Disorders and Comorbidity

Long-Term Effects of an Evidence-Based Practice Implementation in Residential Treatment

Bibliographic Data

ID15522693
AuthorsHeather Thompson-Brenner, Heather Thompson‐Brenner (0000-0001-8724-761X, corresponding author), Simar Singh (0000-0002-3170-2924, Drexel University), Taylor Gardner (0000-0002-2959-0986), Gayle Brooks, Gayle E Brooks, Melanie Smith (0000-0002-1818-1511), Melanie T Smith, Michael R Lowe (0000-0002-6301-9214, Drexel University), James F Boswell (0000-0001-6214-0787, University at Albany, State University of New York)
Year2021
Volume12
Pages641601-641601
Publication date2021-03-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1664-0640 • E-ISSN: 1664-0640
PublisherFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpsyt.2021.641601
PMID33746797
OpenAlexW3135628799
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited60

Background: The Renfrew Unified Treatment for Eating Disorders and Comorbidity (UT) is a transdiagnostic, emotion-focused treatment adapted for use in residential group treatment. This study examined the effect of UT implementation across five years of treatment delivery. Methods: Data were collected by questionnaire at admission, discharge (DC), and 6-month follow-up (6MFU). Patient outcomes were measured by the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ), Anxiety Sensitivity Index, and Southampton Mindfulness Scale. Data were analyzed for N = 345 patients treated with treatment-as-usual (TAU), and N = 2,763 treated with the UT in subsequent years. Results: Results from multilevel models demonstrated a significant interaction between implementation status (TAU vs. UT) and time, both linear and quadratic, for the depression, experiential avoidance, anxiety sensitivity, and mindfulness variables. Patients treated with the UT showed more improvement in these variables on average, as well as more rebound between DC and 6MFU. Results from multilevel models examining eating disorder outcome showed no significant difference between the TAU and UT for the full sample, but a significant three-way interaction indicated that the UT produced more improvement in the EDE-Q relative to the TAU particularly for patients who entered treatment with high levels of experiential avoidance (BEAQ score). Conclusion: This long-term study of a transdiagnostic, evidence-based treatment in residential care for eating disorders and comorbidity suggests implementation was associated with beneficial effects on depression and emotion function outcomes, as well as eating disorder severity for patients with high levels of baseline emotion regulation problems. These effects did not appear to diminish in the 5 years following initial implementation

Anxiety · Comorbidity · Depression (economics · Eating disorders · Experiential avoidance · Mindfulness · Multilevel model · Psychiatry · Clinical Psychology · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Medicine · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Psychology

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