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Adapting Exposure for Adolescent AN
Adapting Exposure Therapy to Target Anxiety About Weight Gain in Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa
Who can join
Ages 14 to 17 · All sexes
Full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Has a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN) * English speaking * Mentally stable for an outpatient level of care * Living with at least one parent/caregiver * Less than or equal to 90% of expected body weight Exclusion Criteria: * Younger than 14 years old or older than 17 years old * Has a current psychotherapist and not open to pausing treatment for the duration of the study * Has a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder * Acutely suicidal * Pregnant * Meets DSM-5 criteria for a psychotic disorder and/or has an intellectual disability * Non-English speaking
About the study
This pilot study is evaluating Exposure Therapy (Exp-AN) as a virtual treatment for adolescents (ages 14 - 17 years) with anorexia nervosa (AN) recruited from eating disorder clinic waitlists and clinician referrals at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) (8 participants per site). Adolescents who agree to take part in this study will receive 20 free virtual 40-60 minute weekly Exp-AN sessions at an outpatient level of care. Exp-AN for adolescents will combine individual virtual session time (35-50 min) with parent involvement (10-25 min). Parents will serve as "collaborators," supporting skill development, exposure completion, and treatment goal achievement. Exp-AN sessions will focus on helping participants overcome anxiety about weight gain by encouraging them to do challenging things that increase anxiety in the short term but help them better tolerate anxiety over the long term. Participants will be asked to complete a clinical interview, questionnaires, and labs and vitals testing before they begin the study. Adolescents will also complete questionnaires and participate in 15-min semi-structured interviews, while parents/caregivers will complete separate parallel interviews, at: mid-treatment, end-of-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. To ensure that all participants are receiving the same type of therapy, they will not be able to have any concurrent psychotherapy while receiving this treatment (other forms of care including dieticians, nutritionists, and psychiatrists are allowed).
Exp-AN is designed to target anxiety about weight gain. Exp-AN includes education about the effects of undereating; the importance of overcoming anxiety about weight gain; in-session weight exposures (e.g., stepping on a scale while reading a script describing fears about weight gain); creating a meal plan to help improve eating; reviewing eating behaviors over the past week; conducting in-session and between-session exposures that help participants face fears related to weight gain; and relapse prevention.
What is being tested
- Exposure Therapy for Anorexia (Exp-AN) (behavioral)
Sponsor: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center · Participants: 16 · Started: Feb 20, 2026
Contact the study team
- Jamal Essayli, PhD · Phone: (717) 531-0003
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07188155
Locations in the U.S.
| Pennsylvania | Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.