Our story
The story of MCCAED began in the early 1980s, with a single clinical research team at the Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital. This group of pioneers developed a new method for treating young people with anorexia nervosa, which became known as Maudsley Family Therapy.
Our approach was so successful that in the mid 1990s, a specialist community-based service dedicated to the treatment of eating disorders in children and adolescents was founded at the hospital. In the late 1990s, we developed a modification of our family therapy approach that brought together multiple families for the first time to share their experiences and work towards a common goal.
At first, MCCAED was only a small outpatient clinic serving local families. By the 2000s, we had grown into a multi-disciplinary service, caring for patients from across the country. And today, we offer a range of additional therapies, an Intensive Day Treatment Programme, enhanced links with paediatric services at King’s College Hospital, and improved access to the service through self-referral. Over the years, we’ve helped thousands of patients to rebuild their lives, and our story is far from over.