Flexible thinking group (CRT): research project
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study of Group Cognitive Remediation Therapy for children and adolescents receiving intensive day-patient treatment for anorexia nervosa.
IRAS ID
219100
Contact name
Charlotte Rhind
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 18 days
Research summary
Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) is an intervention for Anorexia Nervosa (AN) that focuses on ameliorating the neuropsychological inefficiencies that are thought to underlie the illness. These are difficulties with set-shifting (thinking flexibly) and global processing (seeing the bigger picture). CRT has proven beneficial in adults with AN and evidence is emerging to support its use in adolescents at the earlier stage of AN. Group-based interventions are often co-opted for encouraging positive peer processes, normalising problems, and as a cost-effective alternative to individual therapies. Group-based CRT has demonstrated acceptability and has shown promise in both adults and adolescents with AN, based on very small self-report studies. Larger studies with more robust assessment measures are needed to evaluate the benefit of group-based CRT in adolescents with AN.
The current study is a feasibility study that aims to establish the study parameters (important aspects of study design) in order to plan a larger trial to examine the effectiveness of group CRT for young people with AN (i.e. a ‘preparatory study’). This study aims to collect information on the study process (e.g. recruitment rate, suitability of design), estimates of variance (the ‘power’ of the intervention’s effect), and initial data analysis (a ‘first glance’).
The study plans to recruit 30 young people (aged 10-18) diagnosed with AN or Atypical AN receiving treatment from an NHS Intensive Day-patient service, and enrolled on the group CRT programme (routinely offered, 8 sessions).
Study participation will involve completing an assessment at Time 1 (prior to group CRT) and Time 2 (after 4th group CRT session). This will include a questionnaire pack and a neuropsychological assessment (set-shifting and global processing). Participants will be compensated for their time.
The information collected will be used to plan a larger study evaluating group CRT and inform directions of further development of the intervention.
REC name
London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0883
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion