Unified Treatment Model Shows Lasting Impact on Eating Disorder Recovery

Written by: Anne Fennimore, Ph.D.

A new study is offering insight into the long-term effectiveness of the Unified Treatment Model (UTM) for eating disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions in clients receiving residential care. Led by Kelly Emelianchik-Key, Ph.D., LMHC, LMFT, NCC, ACS, associate professor in Counselor Education, Adriana C. Labarta, Ph.D., assistant professor in Counselor Education, Michael DeDonno, Ph.D., assistant professor in Educational Leadership and Research Methodology, and Carman S. Gill, Ph.D., LMHC, NCC, ACS, professor in Counselor Education, the study presents evidence for a transdiagnostic approach that addresses emotional disorders across varied populations.

Published in Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, the research team analyzed data from 470 adults with differing cultural experiences, who received residential treatment for eating disorders between 2016 and 2023. The UTM, a structured cognitive-behavioral protocol, was integrated into all aspects of care, including therapy, nutrition, and psychiatric services. Outcomes were measured using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) at admission, discharge, and during the six-month follow-up.

Statistical significance was observed across all measures. Specifically, eating disorder symptoms decreased with a large effect size, depressive symptoms showed sustained improvement, and anxiety symptoms declined. These findings suggest that the UTM not only supports symptom reduction during treatment but also helps maintain progress after discharge.

“Our findings provide encouraging evidence that a transdiagnostic approach can be effective for clients from a range of backgrounds,” said Emelianchik-Key. “The UTM’s emphasis on emotional awareness and adaptive coping may help sustain recovery beyond the treatment setting.”

The study also addresses a longstanding issue in the field. Eating disorder research has predominantly focused on a narrow subset of the population, leading to knowledge gaps about other populations. Food carries vastly different meanings across groups and eating disorders manifest in distinct ways shaped by background and context. This is in addition to challenges such as access to care, previous treatment models did not adequately account for personal, cultural, and contextual differences. Finding approaches that ensure they are addressing socially embedded root causes are critical in eating disorder treatments across all communities.

Beyond clinical practice, the findings also offer broader implications. The authors recommend that counselor education programs and supervision models incorporate training on transdiagnostic approaches and culturally informed care. With the UTM now including modules that address factors influencing emotional avoidance and eating disorder symptomology, the model may offer a scalable solution for improving treatment outcomes across multiple settings.