Digital Eating Disorder Treatment Shining on University Campus

The researchers concluded that digitally-based anorexia treatment helped bridge the therapeutic gap in college women.

Among nearly 700 women with bulimia eating disorders, cognitive-behavioral therapy with online coaching interventions is an eating disorder test-Questionnaire Global Score (β-0.44, P<0.001), a study by Dr. Denise Wilfley of the University of Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis.

This improvement in overall psychopathology of eating disorders was maintained for two years after intervention (β-0.39, P<0.001), the group is JAMA Network Open..

Both interventions (digital cognitive-behavioral therapy or referral to usual care) outperformed others by achieving complete abstinence from eating disorder behaviors after the intervention was completed (odds ratio 1.48, 95% CI 0.48- 4.62, P= 0.50) or at follow-up (or 1.51, 95% CI 0.63-3.58, P= 0.36).

However, digitally-based treatment significantly reduced eating habits (rate 0.82, 95% CI 0.70-0.96, P= 0.02) Referral to normal care.

Similarly, digital therapy also resulted in a significant reduction in compensatory behavior (ratio 0.68, 95% CI 0.54-0.86, P<0.001), depression (β-1.34, P= 0.01), and clinical impairment (β-2.33, P= 0.01) At the time of evaluation after intervention. All of these behaviors remained significantly reduced over the 2-year follow-up period, except for bulimia.

A total of 690 college women representing 27 US colleges were included in the cluster randomized trial. According to the Stanford-Washington University ED Screen, all women have bulimia with more than 6 episodes of violent diet, vomiting, and/or laxative or diuretic use in the last 3 months. Individuals with anorexia nervosa were excluded.

Women randomized to receive digital-based treatment utilized a student’s Physical Eating Disorder (SB-ED) self-help program. Healthy Body Image Program Online Platform.. The users were offered eight months of access and the program included the core components of cognitive behavioral therapy specifically for eating disorders. This intervention will reduce the behavior of eating disorders, improve body image, adjust emotions, tackle form checking and avoidance, challenge negative thoughts, and prevent recurrence. Focused The program also covered interactive tools, including access to a psychology PhD student “coach”.

The program was initially managed via the web platform, but the engagement was lower than expected, so the developers added iPhone app components in the second and third year. The same content was distributed throughout.

In contrast, women assigned to receive “normal care” received written feedback after baseline screening to seek treatment at a college counseling center.

Interestingly, there was a large disparity in the amount of women in each group who initiated the assigned intervention. About 83% of women assigned to digital-based treatment began intervention. However, on the other hand, only 28% of women assigned to normal care were actually treated for any level of eating disorders at any time during follow-up.

so Accompanying commentary, Jess Shatkin, MD, MPH of New York University in New York City, have quantified benefits especially for college women suffering from diet, although other previous studies have already identified the benefits of digital treatment. I pointed out that it was the first study to do the disorder.

“In recent years, the need for mental health services on college campuses has grown dramatically,” he writes, and now more than ever, every good mental health practitioner has access to these tools and similar treatments. Adopt tools and our college students. “

Shatkin also emphasizes the big difference that the group is actually engaged in treatment, writing: “As all clinicians are familiar with, when it comes to mental illness, simply having patients participate in treatment is half the battle. Properly structured, personally coached, such as SB-ED. Interventions need to become an important component of the therapeutic toolbox.”