The assessment of caregiver self-efficacy in a virtual eating disorder setting.

In family-based treatment (FBT) for eating disorders, caregivers play a central role in helping their child recover. Specifically, a caregiver's self-efficacy, or their confidence in their ability to cope with the challenges their child faces during treatment, is believed to be a key to successful treatment outcomes. However, research on the impact caregiver self-efficacy has on patient treatment outcomes is mixed. Using the Parent vs. Eating Disorder (PVED) scale, we looked at the association between caregiver self-efficacy and eating disorder symptoms and weight changes over time in a sample of 1051 patients receiving virtual FBT. Caregiver self-efficacy had little to no significant impact on treatment outcomes. We offer explanations about why our findings challenge existing research that supports the association between caregiver self-efficacy and outcomes. Namely, the PVED scale appears to measure caregiver perceptions of their role in the treatment process (and not self-efficacy). We believe a new measurement tool must be developed and tested for the field to move forward in its understanding of the role caregiver self-efficacy plays in FBT.