Participant characteristics
Twenty-five referrals were made, of whom 22 were accepted as eligible. The lead author contacted all eligible referrals via email and/or telephone to discuss the intervention, provide an information sheet, and ask whether they would like to take part. Four could not be reached or did not reply within the time limit. Six declined for a combination of reasons including: changing their mind about wanting psychological therapy (n=4), not being able to commit to the scheduled appointments (n=1) and not wanting a group intervention (n=1). Twelve participants accepted and confirmed they could commit to all the scheduled sessions. Eight of the 12 participants completed all six sessions. See Figure 1 for a flow chart of the recruitment process.
All 12 participants were female and white British, and the average age was 15.79 years (range, 4.5; standard deviation 1.47). Seven (58%) had a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa and four (33%) had a diagnosis of atypical anorexia nervosa, based on criteria from the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders [23]. One participant (8%) did not have a formal diagnosis. The mean average weight for height was 93.54% (range, 32.81; standard deviation 9.43). The mean average time that participants had spent in the service was 6.75 months, but this varied significantly (range, 43, standard deviation 11.66)
Clinical outcome data
The end-of-treatment questionnaires were filled in by all eight completers. There was a reduction in: the EDE-A global score; each of the EDE-A subscales; and the CIA scores (see Table 1). This indicated a reduction in eating disorder psychopathology and psychosocial impairment. Figure 2 shows the changes in both individual and mean scores.
Table 1 Outcome data from routine outcome measures
|
BL Mean (Range) SD
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EOT Mean (Range) SD
|
N = 8
|
|
|
EDE-A Restraint
|
2.83 (5) 1.69
|
2.17 (2.8) 1.21
|
EDE-A Eating Concern
|
3.48 (2.6) 0.96
|
3.03 (2.8) 1.04
|
EDE-A Weight Concern
|
4.5 (2.4) 0.79
|
3.85 (4) 1.36
|
EDE-A Shape Concern
|
5.03 (1.38) 0.51
|
4.61 (2.63) 1.05
|
EDE-A Global
|
3.96 (1.99) 0.69
|
3.42 (2.53) 0.96
|
CIA
|
35.62 (21) 6.82
|
28.5 (23) 7.25
|
Abbreviations: BL = Baseline; CIA = Clinical Impairment Assessment; EDE-A = Adolescent version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, EOT = End of Treatment, N = Number of participants, R = Range; SD = Standard deviation
Qualitative feedback
All eight completers sent written qualitative feedback. The following is a summary of the topics discussed.
Reflections on the intervention
Seven of the eight participants described finding the content very helpful. The eighth described therapy as a useful refresher, having previously covered some of the topics while in the service. There were a range of reasons given for why treatment had been helpful, including the permission to talk about body image difficulties and the psychoeducation about how certain behaviors are both caused, and maintained by, an eating disorder.
All participants who commented on the self-monitoring home tasks and behavioral experiments described them as productive and helpful. However, some people were surprised to discover how frequently they engaged in behaviors such as body checking, which made one person feel sad and another anxious. Two people said that self-monitoring increased their preoccupation with shape and weight in the short term.
Time spent in session as a group reflecting on the home tasks was described as helpful and reassuring. Two people noted that doing this showed that their home efforts and written work were valued and useful.
Four people said the course made them more confident. Two said it had helped them understand why making changes was important. Two commented that the information contained in the PowerPoint slides was useful and accessible.
Group format
When being invited to take part in this intervention, several people reported being anxious that it was taking part in a group setting. In the written qualitative feedback, however, five participants spoke specifically about finding the group nature of the course helpful. It was found by most to be validating and reassuring, with specific comments about it helping people realize that they are not alone in their struggles and that others have similar worries and engage in the same behaviors.
During the intervention, the issue of comparison between group members was raised and addressed. Two participants noted in their written feedback that this was an ongoing but manageable concern. In feedback in individual calls, two other people said they had worried this would be a problem, but had found the environment supportive, rather than competitive.
Online format
When being invited to take part in this intervention, several young people reported being anxious about the prospect of having their cameras on for therapy. This was because they would be able to see themselves, and others would be able to see them, in a way that is not possible in in-person therapy. However, there was positive feedback about this in follow-up calls, with several people saying it made the group feel more interactive. There was no further negative feedback on having cameras on once the intervention began. In the written qualitative feedback, one young person commented that although virtual treatment was suboptimal, there was a positive side because they could complete tasks alone which made them feel less judged.
Technology, admin and resources
Overall, there were few technological difficulties, however on one occasion, a participant did not have access to a working device with which to join the session. The initial 30 minutes of the session, which was allocated to address technical issues, worked well on several occasions, as people were able to identify and fix connection and computer difficulties, preventing them from missing a session. However, one person fed back that 30-minutes was too long to wait.
The majority of participants attended on time. Additional time and resources were needed where people did not attend sessions on time. Facilitators emailed and telephoned participants, meaning other young people were waiting. Chasing home tasks also took up time. Overall, 40.7% of written home tasks were sent in on time with no prompts; 25.9% were returned late, after one or more prompts, and 33.3% were not sent in. When home tasks were returned, they were of a very high quality. One person gave feedback that it would be helpful for the service to send a reminder to everyone about sending in the home tasks, the day before they were due.
One young person recommended providing a way to answer questions or make comments anonymously, particularly at the beginning of the course due to the challenges of speaking about sensitive topics to people they did not yet know. The available methods (speaking or using the chat function) did not provide anonymity.