Therapist Adherence in the Strong Without Anorexia Nervosa (SWAN) Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Treatments for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa

Louise Andony, Elaine Tay, Karina Allen, Tracey Wade, Phillipa Hay, Stephen Touyz, Virginia McIntosh, Janet Treasure, Ulrike Schmidt, Christopher Fairburn, David Erceg-Hurn, Anthea Fursland, Ross Crosby, Susan Byrne

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective To develop a psychotherapy rating scale to measure therapist adherence in the Strong Without Anorexia Nervosa (SWAN) study, a multi-center randomized controlled trial comparing three different psychological treatments for adults with anorexia nervosa. The three treatments under investigation were Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT-E), the Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA), and Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM). Method The SWAN Psychotherapy Rating Scale (SWAN-PRS) was developed, after consultation with the developers of the treatments, and refined. Using the SWAN-PRS, two independent raters initially rated 48 audiotapes of treatment sessions to yield inter-rater reliability data. One rater proceeded to rate a total of 98 audiotapes from 64 trial participants. Results The SWAN-PRS demonstrated sound psychometric properties, and was considered a reliable measure of therapist adherence. The three treatments were highly distinguishable by independent raters, with therapists demonstrating significantly more behaviors consistent with the actual allocated treatment compared to the other two treatment modalities. There were no significant site differences in therapist adherence observed. Discussion The findings provide support for the internal validity of the SWAN study. The SWAN-PRS was deemed suitable for use in other trials involving CBT-E, MANTRA, or SSCM.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1170-1175
Number of pages6
JournalInternational Journal of Eating Disorders
Volume48
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2015

Keywords

  • anorexia nervosa
  • CBT-E
  • MANTRA
  • randomized controlled trial
  • SSCM
  • therapist adherence

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Therapist Adherence in the Strong Without Anorexia Nervosa (SWAN) Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Treatments for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this