Abstract
Specialist supportive clinical management (SSCM) was developed as an active comparison treatment in trials with other therapies for anorexia nervosa. Exceeding expectations, SSCM has been found to be as effective as the therapies for which it was a control including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and the Maudsley model of anorexia nervosa treatment for adults (MANTRA). Hence, it has found a place as an effective psychotherapy for anorexia nervosa and is recommended as such in treatment guidelines for anorexia nervosa. The therapy combines the dual approaches of clinical management and supportive psychotherapy. Clinical management focuses on helping patients to normalize their eating and to reduce eating disorder behaviors, promoting the return to a healthy weight range. Supportive psychotherapy helps patients to address other life issues. SSCM practitioners are mental health professionals with experience treating eating disorders, and receive both training and ongoing supervision from experienced SSCM practitioners. Essential clinician qualities are a positive, supportive, and optimistic therapist stance promoting a strong therapeutic relationship and focus on an agreed list of target symptoms, which include weight gain and reduction of eating disorder symptoms. Furthermore, other symptoms such as depression, self-harm, and alcohol abuse can be addressed within SSCM, provided they are not too severe. SSCM for severe and enduring anorexia nervosa expands the goals of therapy to include quality-of-life goals alongside eating disorder goals. SSCM-B (for Broad) represents an extension of SSCM for patients who are not underweight. To treat patients earlier in the eating disorder, SSCM has potential to provide an opportunity for a broad range of appropriately trained but less specialized clinicians to deliver effective therapy, avoiding lengthy waiting lists for specialist care.