Objectives In the United States, more money is spent on treatment for children’s mental health problems than for any other childhood medical condition, yet little is known about usual care (UC) treatment for children. Objectives of this study were to a) characterize UC out-patient psychotherapy for children with disruptive behavior problems, and b) identify consistencies and inconsistencies between UC and common elements of evidence-based practices to inform efforts to implement evidence-based practices in UC. Methods Participants included 96 psychotherapists and 191 children ages 4–13 presenting for treatment for disruptive behavior to one of six UC clinics. An adapted version of the Therapy Process Observational Coding System for Child Psychotherapy – Strategies scale (TPOCS-S) was used to assess psychotherapy processes in 1215 randomly selected (out of 3241 collected) videotaped treatment sessions for up to 16 months. Results Most children received a lot of treatment (mean number of sessions=22, plus other auxiliary services), and there was great variability in amount and type of care received. Therapists employed a wide array of treatment strategies directed to children and parents within and across sessions, but all strategies were delivered at low average intensity. Several strategies conceptually consistent with evidence-based practices were observed frequently (e.g., affect education, positive reinforcement); however, others were observed rarely (e.g., assigning/reviewing homework, role-playing). Conclusion UC treatment for these youths reflected great breadth but not depth. The results highlight specific discrepancies between evidence-based care and UC, thus identifying potentially potent targets for improving the effectiveness of UC.

Objective Determine whether early weight gain predicts full remission at end-of-treatment (EOT) and follow-up in two different treatments for adolescent anorexia nervosa, and to track the rate of weight gain throughout treatment and follow-up. Method Participants were 121 adolescents with AN (mean age = 14.4 years, SD = 1.6), from a two-site (Chicago and Stanford) randomized controlled trial. Adolescents were randomly assigned to family-based treatment (FBT) (n=61) or individual adolescent supportive psychotherapy (AFT) (n=60). Treatment response was assessed using percent of expected body weight (EBW) and the global score on the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE). Full remission was defined as having achieved ≥95% EBW and within one standard deviation of the community norms of the EDE. Full remission was assessed at EOT as well as 12-month follow-up. Results Receiver operating characteristic analyses showed that the earliest predictor of remission at EOT was a gain of 5.8 pounds (2.65 kg) by session 3 in FBT (AUC = .670; p=.043), and a gain of 7.1 pounds (3.20 kg) by session 4 in AFT (AUC=0.754, p=.014). Early weight gain did not predict remission at follow-up for either treatment. A survival analysis showed that weight was marginally superior in FBT as opposed to AFT (Wald chi-square=3.692, df=1, p=.055). Conclusion Adolescents with AN who receive either FBT or AFT, and show early weight gain, are likely to remit at EOT. However, FBT is superior to AFT in terms of weight gain throughout treatment and follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Lower weight has historically been equated with more severe illness in anorexia nervosa (AN). Reliance on admission weight to guide clinical concern is challenged by the rise in patients with atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) requiring hospitalization at normal weight. METHODS: We examined weight history and illness severity in 12-to 24-year-olds with AN (n = 66) and AAN (n = 50) in a randomized clinical trial, the Study of Refeeding to Optimize Inpatient Gains (www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT02488109). Amount of weight loss was the difference between the highest historical percentage median BMI and admission; rate was the amount divided by duration (months). Unpaired t tests compared AAN and AN; multiple variable regressions examined associations between weight history variables and markers of illness severity at admission. Stepwise regression examined the explanatory value of weight and menstrual history on selected markers. RESULTS: Participants were 16.5 6 2.6 years old, and 91% were of female sex. Groups did not differ by weight history or admission heart rate (HR). Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire global scores were higher in AAN (mean 3.80 [SD 1.66] vs mean 3.00 [SD 1.66]; P = .02). Independent of admission weight, lower HR (b = 20.492 [confidence interval (CI) 20.883 to 20.100]; P = .01) was associated with faster loss; lower serum phosphorus was associated with a greater amount (b = 20.005 [CI 20.010 to 0.000]; P = .04) and longer duration (b = 20.011 [CI 20.017 to 0.005]; P = .001). Weight and menstrual history explained 28% of the variance in HR and 36% of the variance in serum phosphorus. CONCLUSIONS: Weight history was independently associated with markers of malnutrition in inpatients with restrictive eating disorders across a range of body weights and should be considered when assessing illness severity on hospital admission. WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Lower weight was traditionally equated with more severe illness in anorexia nervosa. The rapid rise in patients with atypical anorexia nervosa who require hospitalization at normal weight has challenged reliance on current weight to guide clinical concern. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Patients with large, rapid, or longduration of weight loss were more severely ill regardless of their current weight. Weight history can help guide clinical concern for pediatricians tasked with assessing restrictive eating disorders in today' s diverse population of adolescents.

IMPORTANCEThe standard of care for refeeding inpatients with anorexia nervosa, starting with low calories and advancing cautiously, is associated with slow weight gain and protracted hospital stay. Limited data suggest that higher-calorie refeeding improves these outcomes with no increased risk of refeeding syndrome.OBJECTIVE To compare the short-term efficacy, safety, and cost of lower-calorie vs higher-calorie refeeding for malnourished adolescents and young adults with anorexia nervosa. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSIn this multicenter randomized clinical trial with prospective follow-up conducted at 2 inpatient eating disorder programs at large tertiary care hospitals, 120 adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 24 years hospitalized with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa and 60% or more of median body mass index were enrolled from February 8, 2016, to March 7, 2019. The primary analysis was a modified intent-to-treat approach. INTERVENTIONS Higher-calorie refeeding, beginning at 2000 kcal/d and increasing by 200 kcal/d vs lower-calorie refeeding, beginning at 1400 k/cal and increasing by 200 kcal every other day.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Main outcomes were end-of-treatment outcomes; the primary end point of this trial will be clinical remission over 12 months. Short-term efficacy was defined a priori as time to restore medical stability in the hospital, measured by the following 6 indices: 24-hour heart rate of 45 beats/min or more, systolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or more, temperature of 35.6 °C or more, orthostatic increase in heart rate of 35 beats/min or less, orthostatic decrease in systolic blood pressure of 20 mm Hg or less, and 75% or more of median body mass index for age and sex. The prespecified safety outcome was incidence of electrolyte abnormalities; cost efficacy was defined as savings associated with length of stay. RESULTSBecause 9 participants withdrew prior to treatment, the modified intention-to-treat analyses included 111 participants (93%; 101 females [91%]; mean [SD] age, 16.4 [2.5] years). Higher-calorie refeeding restored medical stability significantly earlier than lower-calorie refeeding (hazard ratio, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.10-2.53]; P = .01). Electrolyte abnormalities and other adverse events did not differ by group. Hospital stay was 4.0 days shorter (95% CI, −6.1 to −1.9 days) among the group receiving higher-calorie refeeding, which was associated with a

Objective Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), treated with family-based treatment (FBT) who fail to gain 2.3 kg by the fourth week of treatment have a 40–50% lower chance of recovery than those who do. Because of the high risk of developing enduring AN, improving outcomes in this group of poor responders is essential. This study examines the feasibility and effects of a novel adaptive treatment (i.e., Intensive Parental Coaching-IPC) aimed at enhancing parental self-efficacy related to re-feeding skills in poor early responders to FBT. Method 45 adolescents (12 – 18 years of age) meeting DSM TR IV criteria for AN were randomized in an unbalanced design (10 to standard FBT; 35 to the adaptive arm). Attrition, suitability, expectancy rates, weight change, and psychopathology were compared between groups. Outcomes There were no differences in rates of attrition, suitability, expectancy ratings, or most clinical outcomes between randomized groups. However, the group of poor early responders that received IPC achieved full weight restoration (>95% of expected mean BMI) by EOT at similar rates as those who had responded early. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that it is feasible to use an adaptive design to study the treatment effect of IPC for those who do not gain adequate weight by session 4 of FBT. The results also suggest that using IPC for poor early responders significantly improves weight recovery rates to levels comparable to those who respond early. A sufficiently powered study is needed to confirm these promising findings.

Objectives-In the United States, more money is spent on treatment for children's mental health problems than for any other childhood medical condition, yet little is known about usual care (UC) treatment for children. Objectives of this study were to a) characterize UC out-patient psychotherapy for children with disruptive behavior problems, and b) identify consistencies and inconsistencies between UC and common elements of evidence-based practices to inform efforts to implement evidence-based practices in UC.Methods-Participants included 96 psychotherapists and 191 children ages 4-13 presenting for treatment for disruptive behavior to one of six UC clinics. An adapted version of the Therapy Process Observational Coding System for Child Psychotherapy -Strategies scale (TPOCS-S) was used to assess psychotherapy processes in 1215 randomly selected (out of 3241 collected) videotaped treatment sessions for up to 16 months.Results-Most children received a lot of treatment (mean number of sessions=22, plus other auxiliary services), and there was great variability in amount and type of care received. Therapists employed a wide array of treatment strategies directed to children and parents within and across sessions, but all strategies were delivered at low average intensity. Several strategies conceptually consistent with evidence-based practices were observed frequently (e.g., affect education, positive reinforcement); however, others were observed rarely (e.g., assigning/reviewing homework, roleplaying).Conclusion-UC treatment for these youths reflected great breadth but not depth. The results highlight specific discrepancies between evidence-based care and UC, thus identifying potentially potent targets for improving the effectiveness of UC.

Context Clinical supervision is the principal method of training for psychotherapeutic practice, however there is virtually no research on supervision practice in community settings. Of particular interest is the role supervision might play in facilitating implementation of evidence-based (EB) care in routine care settings. Objective This study examines the format and functions of clinical supervision sessions in routine care, as well as the extent to which supervision addresses psychotherapeutic practice elements common to EB care for children with disruptive behavior problems, who represent the majority of patients served in publicly-funded routine care settings. Methods Supervisors (n=7) and supervisees (n=12) from four publicly-funded community-based child mental health clinics reported on 130 supervision sessions. Results Supervision sessions were primarily individual in-person meetings lasting one hour. The most common functions included case conceptualization and therapy interventions. Coverage of practice elements common to EB treatments was brief. Discussion Despite the fact that most children presenting to public mental health services are referred for disruptive behavior problems, supervision sessions are infrequently focused on practice elements consistent with EB treatments for this population. Supervision is a promising avenue through which training in EB practices could be supported to improve the quality of care for children in community-based “usual care” clinics.

Classifying eating disorders in youth is challenging in light of developmental considerations and high rates of diagnostic migration. Understanding the transactional relationships among eating disorder symptoms, both across the transdiagnostic spectrum and within specific diagnostic categories, may clarify which core eating disorder symptoms contribute to, and maintain, eating-related psychopathology in youth. We utilized network analysis to investigate interrelationships among eating disorder symptoms in 636 treatment-seeking children and adolescents (90.3% female) ages 6-18 years (M age = 15.4 ± 2.2). An undirected, weighted network of eating disorder symptoms was created using behavioral and attitudinal items from the Eating Disorder Examination. Across diagnostic groups, symptoms reflecting appearance-related concerns (e.g., dissatisfaction with shape and weight) and dietary restraint (e.g., a desire to have an empty stomach) were most strongly associated with other eating disorder symptoms in the network. Binge eating and compensatory behaviors (e.g., self-induced vomiting) were strongly connected to one another but not to other symptoms in the network. Network connectivity was similar across anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and otherwise specified feeding or eating disorder subgroups. Among treatment-seeking children and adolescents, dietary restraint and shape- and weight-related concerns appear to play key roles in the psychopathology of eating disorders, supporting cognitive-behavioral theories of onset and maintenance. Similarities across diagnostic categories provide support for a transdiagnostic classification scheme. Clinical interventions should seek to disrupt these symptoms early in treatment to achieve maximal outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record