Family-based treatment for Anorexia nervosa: Lived experience and Clinician Opinions between Nations (FALCON)

Family-based treatment (FBT) is the recommended first-line treatment for anorexia nervosa in both Australia and the United States. While it is the most effective weight restoration treatment available (even with only a 50% success rate (Bentz et al., 2021)), it can be a traumatising experience for both the young person and their families (Waage et al., 2025). Anecdotally, families and clinicians in the United States appear to be more accepting of FBT than those in Australia. In this study, we will collect information from clients and their carers who have participated in FBT, as well as from clinicians who have delivered it, to determine whether this anecdotal evidence is accurate. If it is, we aim to understand the factors contributing to these differences, to identify ways to improve the experience of FBT for families in Australia. Our comparative survey of the acceptability of FBT addresses a critical gap in the literature and has the potential to inform service delivery of FBT generally and specifically, to improve its fit for the Australian population. This survey study will compare clients, carers and clinicians from the US and Australia to (1) determine if there is a greater acceptability of FBT in the US and (2) determine what factors within and across countries influence the experience of receiving or delivering FBT. The primary objective is to determine if the experience of FBT differs between Australia and the US for clients, carers, and clinicians. Outcomes measures will include responses to items about satisfaction, effectiveness and positivity of their experiences. The secondary objective is to determine whether there are differences in experiences between clients, carers and clinicians based on a range of other variables including: • For clients and carers, the influence of attachment/parenting style along with demographic factors (e.g. age of illness onset, number of comorbidities, socioeconomic status) • For clinicians, training and delivery factors (e.g. adherence to the manual, inpatient vs. outpatient delivery).