"Family Connections" an Intervention for Caregivers of People With Eating Disorders and Personality Disorders: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

The FC program (Fruzzetti and Hoffman, 2005) is divided into 7 modules: 1. Introduction to the intervention program. Program objectives, guidelines, criteria, and symptoms of ED and PD. 2. Psychoeducation on the development of ED and PD, explanatory theories, available treatments, comorbidity with PD. 3. Emotional regulation skills and awareness, and to decrease emotional reactivity. 4. Skills to improve the quality of relationships in family interactions (letting go of guilt and anger, acceptance skills in relationships). 5. Communication skills and effective self-expression, such as validation. 6. Problem management and making safe plans for crisis management. 7. Making new sense of my relationship with my family member, an opportunity to grow together. All the modules include practice exercises, video viewing, and homework assignment.

Family members with this condition will continue to receive the usual treatment provided by their referral care center. In addition, we will optimize the treatment, following the recommendations of the international guidelines for the treatment of ED (NICE, 2017). There will be 3 two-hour session in group format each week, with the following components: Up-to-date information and research on ED and PD; Psychoeducation on the development of ED and PD; Explanatory theories; Available treatments and comorbidity. In both conditions, after each face-to-face session, the participant will be asked to review the contents addressed during the session as homework (independently of the homework corresponding to the specific module being addressed). All interventions carried out with family members will be performed by clinical psychologists or general health psychologists with at least a master's degree or a doctoral degree and previous training in the application of the programs.