Clinical trial NCT06849830: Incorporating Narrative Into the Treatment of Youth With Anorexia Nervosa
Official title: Incorporating Narrative Into the Treatment of Youth With Anorexia Nervosa
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa
Lead sponsor: University of California, San Francisco
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2025-02-27
Enrollment: 15
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 16
Maximum age (years): 25
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a narrative medicine (NM) curriculum can enhance self-expression, reflection, and resilience in adolescents and young adults with anorexia nervosa.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does participation in an NM curriculum improve self-expression and reflection in individuals with anorexia nervosa?
* Does engaging in creative writing and group discussion promote resilience and emotional processing in this population?

Participants will be 16-25 years old, medically stable for outpatient eating disorder therapy, and actively engaged in treatment. Those with active suicidal ideation, recent non-suicidal self-injury, or a co-occurring personality disorder will not be eligible.

Participants will:

* Attend six weekly workshops (April-May 2025) focused on themes such as self-definition, kindness, resilience, and possibility
* Engage in close reading of visual or written texts
* Complete creative writing exercises in response to prompts
* Participate in group discussions and sharing

An optional capstone reading event will provide a supportive space for participants to share their work with peers, loved ones, and providers, fostering connection and community.

This study aims to explore the role of narrative medicine in eating disorder treatment and assess its potential benefits for psychological well-being and self-expression.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 16-25 years old
* have a DSM-5 diagnosis of AN (confirmed by the UCSF Eating Disorders Program clinical team),
* currently engaged in outpatient eating disorder treatment, ensuring medical stability and capacity for a group-based intervention
* English fluency to engage in reflective writing and discussions
* Cognitive ability to meaningfully participate in narrative-based exercises

Exclusion Criteria:

* Currently medically unstable or require inpatient hospitalization
* History of psychosis, schizophrenia spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, or personality disorder
* Severe neurocognitive impairment that would prevent engagement with the intervention
* Active suicidal ideation or non-suicidal self-injury within the past two months
* Insufficient English proficiency to participate in group discussions and writing exercises

Primary outcomes:
measure: Number of participants in each session
timeFrame: Immediately post-intervention (Week 6)
measure: Satisfaction with intervention components using 5-point Likert scales and semi-structured individual interviews
timeFrame: Immediately post-intervention (Week 6)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Identity Clarity
timeFrame: Pre- (Week 0) and immediately post-intervention (Week 6)
measure: Social Connectedness
timeFrame: Pre- (Week 0) and immediately post-intervention (Week 6)
measure: Depression Symptoms
timeFrame: Pre- (Week 0) and immediately post-intervention (Week 6)
measure: Anxiety Symptoms
timeFrame: Pre- (Week 0) and immediately post-intervention (Week 6)
measure: Eating Disorder Severity
timeFrame: Pre- (Week 0) and immediately post-intervention (Week 6)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: San Francisco
country: United States
facility: UCSF Nancy Friend Pritzker Psychiatry Building
state: California
Study officials:
affiliation: University of California, San Francisco
name: Anoushka Sinha, MD, MS
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Knio L, Sridhar H. Phenomenology of Identity: Narrative Medicine Curricula in the Care of Eating Disorders. J Med Humanit. 2025 Jan 27. doi: 10.1007/s10912-025-09929-6. Online ahead of print.