Objective
This pilot trial aimed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, treatment‐satisfaction, and preliminary efficacy of Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions adapted for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (SPACE‐ARFID). SPACE‐ARFID is a novel outpatient parent‐based treatment that focuses on parental responses to child problematic eating habits and aims to promote food‐related flexibility.
Method
Parents of 15 children (ages 6–14 years) with ARFID participated in 12 weekly sessions of SPACE‐ARFID. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed by calculating enrollment, attendance, attrition, and adverse events. Treatment‐satisfaction was assessed with the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ‐8), administered posttreatment. ARFID symptom severity and impairment and family accommodation were assessed at baseline and posttreatment.
Results
Of 17 eligible families, 15 (88.24%) elected to participate in the trial. Of the 15 participating families, all except for 1 (6.67%) completed all 12 weekly treatment sessions. Both parents and children rated the treatment as highly satisfactory. ARFID symptom severity and impairment as well as family accommodation were significantly reduced from pre‐ to posttreatment. Increases in food‐related flexibility are described.
Discussion
Findings provide preliminary evidence that SPACE‐ARFID, a parent‐based treatment that focuses on parental responses to the ARFID symptoms is feasible, acceptable, and satisfactory and produces improvement in clinical outcomes.