Understanding the uptake of family‐based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: Therapist perspectives

OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe therapists' perceptions of the factors affecting their uptake of family-based treatment (FBT) for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). METHOD: Fundamental qualitative description guided the sampling and data collection in this study. A purposeful sample of 40 therapists providing treatment to youth with AN, completed an in-depth interview. Conventional content analysis guided the development of initial codes and categories, whereas constant comparison analytic techniques were used to compare and contrast therapist perceptions across contexts. Summative content analysis was used to provide counts of keywords, phrases, and themes. RESULTS: Therapists face several barriers to the implementation of FBT, divided broadly into interventional, organizational, interpersonal, patient/family, systemic, and illness factors. Therapists support the implementation of evidence-based practices, including FBT for AN, but fidelity to this model is not practiced. Specific concerns about the intervention included weighing the patient, providing nutritional advice, and the family meal. Ninety-five percent of therapists requested further training in the FBT model. DISCUSSION: Further investigation into the barriers and facilitating factors to the use of FBT is warranted. Understanding effective dissemination and training strategies is critical to ensuring patients receive the best possible care.