Eating disorders: online self-help & usual treatment (TAU) vs TAU only
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effectiveness and acceptability of the internet-based “Smart Eating“ self-help programme alongside treatment as usual (TAU) for the management of eating disorders: a pilot study.
IRAS ID
163177
Contact name
Eleanor Filgate
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Treatment of eating disorders is complex and expensive. Individuals are often treated on an outpatient basis with a comprehensive approach of medical care, nutritional rehabilitation, psychological therapy and medication. Global psychological treatment recommendations specify the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for treating eating disorders, but with high treatment drop out and relapse rates researchers are exploring additional interventions to enhance the efficacy of usual treatment and improve outcomes. A number of technologically enhanced approaches are subsequently gaining momentum, empowering service users to utilise such additional interventions as an adjunct to usual treatment. The online self-help programme, “Smart Eating“, is one such approach that draws on CBT principles, and has been shown to improve motivation for change, eating disorder psychopathology and quality of life in Austral-Asian eating disorder patients, as well as uniquely offering a carers/relatives education component to treatment.\n\nThis controlled-comparison pilot study will explore whether individuals accessing “Smart Eating” + treatment as usual (TAU) from the NHS Tayside Eating Disorders Service have improved treatment outcomes compared to individuals receiving TAU only (control group). All participants would be involved in the trial for 6 months, with regular measurement of their motivation for change, eating disorder psychopathology and quality of life at four time-points (pre-treatment, mid-treatment, end of treatment, 3-month follow-up). Some participants may continue to receive TAU after study end (as determined by the treating clinician from NHS Tayside Eating Disorders Service). The study will also explore acceptability of the “Smart Eating” self-help programme via a feedback questionnaire to inform programme adaptations and a possible pragmatic randomised controlled trial planned for the future. Currently, no other UK study is piloting the “Smart Eating” programme plus specialist NHS eating disorder treatment.\n
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 2
REC reference
16/ES/0014
Date of REC Opinion
19 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion