Family-Based Treatment for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: Last-Session Reflections

Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is an emerging intervention for youth with low-weight Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), yet little is known about how parents conceptualize progress, learning, and maintenance of behavioral changes after treatment completion. Clarifying parent perspectives may inform future treatment modifications and shed light on potential mechanisms of change in FBT.

This qualitative study explored parent experiences (n = 19 families) during the final session of FBT-ARFID who were treated in the context of a randomized clinical trial. Qualitative data from final-session transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Qualitative analyses identified four themes capturing parental reflections on learning during FBT: Progress Review, Parent Learning, Maintenance Planning, and Gratitude. Parents emphasized improvements beyond weight restoration, including increased dietary variety, reduced fear around eating, and greater flexibility at meals. Parents universally reported learning core FBT principles and increased confidence about their ability to manage ARFID in their child after treatment was completed.

According to systematic qualitative analysis of parent reflections at the end of treatment, FBT for ARFID promotes parental self-efficacy, multidimensional progress, and meaningful parental learning related to managing ARFID symptoms in their children.