Digital therapeutic alliance for adolescents with eating disorders [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Perceptions of the development of the therapeutic alliance through videoconferencing among adolescents with eating disorders
IRAS ID
288285
Contact name
Stephanie Henwood
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Holloway, University of London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 11 days
Research summary
The outbreak of Covid-19 has resulted in a shift from predominantly face-to-face therapy to digital therapy for young people (Taylor, Fitzsimmons‐Craft & Graham, 2020). The relationship between the therapist and client, also known as the therapeutic alliance, has been shown to have a positive influence on treatment outcomes, with research on digital therapy finding some equivalence in terms of outcome and alliance when compared to face-to-face therapy (Berger, 2015).
Research has highlighted the importance of developing a strong therapeutic alliance with young people with Eating Disorders (Graves et al, 2017). Developing a therapeutic relationship with this population may be particularly difficult due to their desire to remain thin, denial that they need help and the involvement of the broader family system in facilitating therapy attendance (Couturier & Lock, 2006). Therefore, it is important to understand how this client group develops a strong therapeutic alliance via video therapy, to establish theoretical and practice differences to face-to-face models of therapeutic alliance and enable examples of good practice to be shared. This is of particular importance in this client group, due to the high psychological and physical risk of the disorder, and this population often experiencing increased isolation and family difficulties, which is likely to have been exacerbated during lockdown (Fernandex-Aranda et al., 2020). Therefore, this study aims to understand how therapeutic alliance develops via videoconferencing, specifically amongst adolescents with Eating Disorders.
Semi-structured interviews will be conducted via Zoom with adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years old, who have an eating disorder diagnosis (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa or Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED)). These participants will either currently be undergoing psychological therapy via videoconferencing or will have recently completed therapy at the Royal Free Eating Disorder service. The interviews will be analysed using a combined inductive and deductive thematic analysis.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/YH/0292
Date of REC Opinion
11 Nov 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion