RecruitingACTRN12623000695606

Getting into a good headspace: Trial of a brief group-based eating disorder prevention program for young Australians at risk of developing an eating disorder

Getting into a good headspace: Efficacy trial of implementing a brief group-based eating disorder prevention program in an Australian youth mental health service

Sponsor

The University of Technology Sydney

Enrollment

100 participants

Start Date

Nov 20, 2023

Study Type

Interventional

Conditions

body image concerns

Summary

The current study aims to investigate the outcomes, benefits and feasibility of a brief evidence-based eating disorder prevention program within an Australian youth mental health service (at headspace Camperdown). This program is the Body Project program, which is a well-established eating disorder (ED) prevention program. The study aims to investigate the feasibility of this program in a sample of young Australians (between ages 12-25). Specifically, this study aims to compare outcomes (including body image concerns/outcomes, eating disorder symptomatology and general psychological distress) between the those who complete the Body Project program at headspace (our Treatment Group) and those who do not complete the Body Project program but who do continue to access their standard care at headspace (Treatment-as-usual Control group), and compare outcomes pre-treatment, post-treatment and at one month follow-up. By conducting this study we hope to assess the potential utility of such a brief and low-cost program within the headspace centre setting which, if found to be effective, could be rolled out nationally (to the 150+ headspace centres around Australia) as an early intervention approach to preventing the development of eating disorders amongst Australian youth. We hypothesise that our study results will demonstrate that attending the Body Project group program embedded into the headspace youth mental health service model will effectively reduce symptoms of eating disorders, body image concerns and psychological distress for young Australians at risk of developing an eating disorder.

Eligibility

Sex: Both males and femalesMin Age: 12 YearssMax Age: 25 Yearss

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

Eating disorders — such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia — can significantly impact a young person's physical health, mental wellbeing, and daily life. Getting early support is important, but for many young Australians, accessing specialist eating disorder services can take time. This study is testing a brief, structured group program called the Body Project — a well-established prevention and early intervention program that has shown promise in reducing body image concerns and eating disorder symptoms. The study is being run at headspace Camperdown, a youth mental health centre. Young people aged 12–25 who are already attending headspace for support will be invited to take part. Half of the participants will join the Body Project group program, while the other half will continue with their usual care at headspace. Researchers will assess changes in body image, eating disorder symptoms, and psychological wellbeing at the start, end, and one month after the program. You may be eligible if you are aged 12–25 and are currently seeking support from headspace Camperdown. The program is open to young people of all genders. People with conditions that would interfere with their ability to participate or understand the study may not be eligible.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

Intervention: Attendance at 4 x 1.5hour group psychology sessions following the manualised program of 'The Body Project' by Stice, Rohde & Shaw (2012). Body Project Group sessions will take place w

Intervention: Attendance at 4 x 1.5hour group psychology sessions following the manualised program of 'The Body Project' by Stice, Rohde & Shaw (2012). Body Project Group sessions will take place weekly at headspace Camperdown, over 4 weeks. Sessions will last 90mins. Groups will consist of up to 10 participants. Allocation to the intervention group occurs by 'participant choice' - All consenting participants of the study will be invited to attend the group program and places in the groups will be allocated on a 'first-come' basis. Groups will be facilitated by a clinical psychology Masters student (under supervision of a senior clinical psychologist) and supported by a co-facilitator (either a second clinical psychology Masters student under supervision or a mental health professional such as a psychologist or social worker). Group session contents and structure will follow the outlined procedure in the Body Project treatment manual by Stice, Rohde & Shaw (2012).

Locations(1)

NSW, Australia

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ACTRN12623000695606