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Related Research Units

Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Research

Research Overview

Dr. Freizinger is a Co-PI on a multi-site longitudinal study investigating avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and related eating patterns. The study aims to investigate the relationship between avoidant/restrictive eating and hormones and regions of the brain. The goal is to better understand brain and hormone activity and behavioral markers of avoidant/restrictive eating.

Research Background

Melissa Freizinger, Ph.D., is the Associate Director of the Eating Disorder Program in the Division of Adolescent Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital and an instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Freizinger received her doctoral degree in counseling psychology from Northeastern University. Dr. Freizinger also trained at Cambridge Hospital and in the Behavioral Neurology Unit at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Freizinger was the 2006 Murphy Fellow at the Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Mental Health Center DBT program.

Dr. Freizinger has worked in various settings that include the Behavioral Medicine Department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Two Brattle Center, and the Psychopharmacology Research Unit at Boston University Medical Center. Most recently, Dr. Freizinger has been involved in program development and has worked for several local eating disorder treatment programs. Dr. Freizinger has presented national and local workshops and lectures on the topic of eating disorders, eating disorders and college students, and borderline personality disorder and eating disorders. She is published in the areas of eating disorders and infertility, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, and depression in infertile women. Her clinical interests include the application of DBT to eating disorders, eating disorders and suicidality, and Family Based Treatment.

Publications

  1. Caregiver-Youth Agreement on the Nine-Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Survey. Int J Eat Disord. 2025 Jan 24. View Abstract
  2. Growing up in a larger body: youth- and parent-reported triggers for illness and barriers to recovery from anorexia nervosa. J Eat Disord. 2024 Nov 23; 12(1):192. View Abstract
  3. Weight/Shape concerns in youth with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Eat Disord. 2024 Sep 21; 1-15. View Abstract
  4. Treatment adherence and nasogastric tube use in hospitalized youth with anorexia nervosa and premorbid overweight/obesity. Eat Disord. 2024 Jul 26; 1-9. View Abstract
  5. Prospective 2-Year Course and Predictors of Outcome in Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2025 Feb; 64(2):262-275. View Abstract
  6. Associations between presenting weight and premorbid weight and the medical sequelae in hospitalized youth with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa. J Pediatr Nurs. 2024 Jul-Aug; 77:125-130. View Abstract
  7. Triggers for eating disorder onset in youth with anorexia nervosa across the weight spectrum. Eat Disord. 2023 Nov 02; 31(6):553-572. View Abstract
  8. Assessment of Patients With ARFID Presenting to Multi-Disciplinary Tertiary Care Program. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2023 06 01; 76(6):743-748. View Abstract
  9. Adolescents with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa with premorbid overweight/obesity: What should we do about their weight loss? J Child Adolesc Psychiatr Nurs. 2023 02; 36(1):55-58. View Abstract
  10. Binge-eating behaviors in adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Eat Disord. 2022 Aug 24; 10(1):125. View Abstract
  11. Elevated Fasting Satiety-Promoting Cholecystokinin (CCK) in Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Compared to Healthy Controls. J Clin Psychiatry. 2022 07 11; 83(5). View Abstract
  12. Atypical Anorexia in Youth: Cautiously Bridging the Treatment Gap. Children (Basel). 2022 Jun 05; 9(6). View Abstract
  13. COVID-19 and eating disorder and mental health concerns in patients with eating disorders. J Eat Disord. 2021 Jul 02; 9(1):80. View Abstract
  14. Access to care and worsening eating disorder symptomatology in youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Eat Disord. 2021 Jun 10; 9(1):69. View Abstract
  15. Integrating Family-Based Treatment Principles in the Acute Inpatient Treatment of Adolescents with Restrictive Eating Disorders. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021; 14:449-454. View Abstract
  16. Pediatric Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Call to Action for Inpatient Staff Training. J Psychiatr Pract. 2019 Sep; 25(5):395-401. View Abstract
  17. Medical Education: Guidelines for Effective Teaching of Managing Challenging Patient Encounters. Med Sci Educ. 2019 Sep; 29(3):855-861. View Abstract
  18. Medically Hospitalized Patients With Eating Disorders and Somatoform Disorders in Pediatrics: What Are Their Similarities and Differences and How Can We Improve Their Care? Hosp Pediatr. 2016 12; 6(12):730-737. View Abstract
  19. Binge-eating disorder: emerging treatments for a new diagnosis. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2016 08; 28(4):415-20. View Abstract
  20. Self-report of eating disorder symptoms among women with and without infertility. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2015 May-Jun; 44(3):380-8. View Abstract
  21. The prevalence of eating disorders in infertile women. Fertil Steril. 2010 Jan; 93(1):72-8. View Abstract
  22. The impact of group psychological interventions on distress in infertile women. Health Psychol. 2000 Nov; 19(6):568-75. View Abstract
  23. Impact of group psychological interventions on pregnancy rates in infertile women. Fertil Steril. 2000 Apr; 73(4):805-11. View Abstract

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