ArticleThe International journal of eating disorders2021
Multi-family therapy for eating disorders: A systematic scoping review of the quantitative and qualitative findings.
Article in The International journal of eating disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Multi-Family Therapy in East and Southeast Asia-A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis.Journal of marital and family therapy · 2026Pooled it
- Next of kin involvement in mental health care services - a systematic participatory overview of evidence syntheses.BMC psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Family therapy and cognitive behavior therapy for eating disorders in children and adolescents in routine clinical care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Multi-family therapy for eating disorders across the lifespan: A systematic review and meta-analysis.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2022Pooled it
- Moderators of treatment effect in a randomised controlled trial of single- and multi-family therapy for anorexia nervosa in adolescents and emerging adults.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2026Trial
- Digital augmentation of aftercare for patients with anorexia nervosa: the TRIANGLE RCT and economic evaluation.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025Trial
- A network analysis in adolescent anorexia nervosa exploring the connection between both patient and carer reactions and outcome.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2023Trial
- Changes in Parental Well-Being Following Intensive Day Programme Treatment for Restrictive Eating Disorders in Adolescents.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2026Article
- A descriptive study of patients' and families' experience of multifamily therapy for eating disorders in young adults.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- The intensive outreach programme for child and adolescent eating disorders: an uncontrolled case series of clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- A Novel Approach to the Involvement of Loved Ones in the Treatment of Individuals with Eating Disorders: The Family Integration Model.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of multi-family group therapy for school refusal in adolescents with depressive disorders: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Investigation of virtual multi-family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa: feasibility and acceptability.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- A Non-Randomized Comparison of the Addition of New Maudsley Model Workshops for Parents of Adult Women Receiving Multidisciplinary Care for Anorexia Nervosa.The International journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
- When Is the Right Time to End Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN)?: A Qualitative Study of Young People's Experiences.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2026Article
- "It's never ending and overwhelmingly difficult": a mixed-methods survey of the impact of caregiving for a loved one with an eating disorder in New Zealand.Journal of eating disorders · 2025Article
- Emotional burden and family functioning among caregivers of individuals with eating disorders.Journal of eating disorders · 2025Article
- What factors do parents/caregivers think impact change in family therapy for anorexia nervosa?: a qualitative study.Journal of eating disorders · 2025Article
- Exploring Interactive Change Processes in Multifamily Therapy for Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa.The International journal of eating disorders · 2025Article
- Experiences with family relationships following eating disorders: a roller coaster of emotions.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThis study reviewed the quantitative and qualitative evidence-base for multi-family therapy (MFT) for eating disorders regarding change in physical and psychological symptoms, broader individual and family factors, and the experience of treatment.
methodA systematic scoping review was conducted. Four databases (PsycInfo, Medline, Embase, CENTRAL) and five grey literature databases were searched on 24th June 2021 for relevant peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and dissertations. No beginning time-point was specified. Only papers that presented quantitative or qualitative data were included. No restrictions on age or diagnosis were imposed. Studies were first mapped by study design, participant age, and treatment setting, then narratively synthesized.
resultsOutcomes for 714 people who received MFT across 27 studies (one mixed-method, 17 quantitative and nine qualitative) were synthesized. MFT is associated with improvements in eating disorder symptomatology and weight gain for those who are underweight. It is also associated with improvements in other individual and family factors including comorbidities, self-esteem, quality of life, and some aspects of the experience of caregiving, although these findings are more mixed. MFT is generally experienced as both helpful and challenging due to the content addressed and intensive group process. DISCUSSION: MFT is associated with significant improvements in eating disorder symptoms across the lifespan and improvement in broader individual and family factors. The evidence base is small and studies are generally underpowered. Larger, higher-quality studies are needed, as is research investigating the unique contribution of MFT on outcomes, given it is typically an adjunctive treatment.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.