BFED: Investigating the effects of self-help eating disorder modules on a community sample.

About this study

Waitlists for specialist eating disorder treatments can be long. When accessing therapy is delayed, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP; 2014) recommends guided self-help as a first step in treatment. The aim of this project is to evaluate using online self-help modules developed by the eating disorders team at the Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) to support people with eating disorders who are currently not receiving treatment. CCI provides free online evidence-supported self-help modules for eating disorders – Break Free from ED (BFED) - which have been accessed over 350,000 times since July 2022. The present research study will evaluate using the BFED modules in a self-help format with minimal guidance. We intend to use the findings to refine and develop innovative solutions to better support people with eating disorders while they are on waitlists and ultimately help them engage in evidence-based treatment at the point they ask for help.

Research TeamProf Peter McEvoy, Dr Bruce Campbell, Dr Kate Tonta, Dr Olivia Carter, Katharina Targowski, Rosie Blackburn
InstitutionCurtin University and the Centre for Clinical Interventions
Websitehttps://curtin.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e9jQF3gQDu4qEia?fbclid=IwY2xjawKY87ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE4NEM3aXdIbkMzRmZWdjRsAR56Y_fo6LyRB8BHddvTkyd0n3MYL5RYK41ac2kNp2kHPJQsks6yjy4egAd4EQ_aem_irDOlYkQZhGZcWzM4-uG9w
Ethics Approval NumberRGS6683 (WA Health Central Human Research Ethics Committee)
Funding SourceN/A
Project Start Date8 May 2025
Project End Date31 December 2025
ParticipantsAdults (18+) currently seeking psychological treatment for eating disorders in Australia.
What is InvolvedA 20 minute pre-screener; 14 weekly guided self-help modules; a series of online questionnaires throughout treatment. Participation is voluntary and spans over 4 months.
LocationOnline
Contact Details

Rosie Blackburn; rosie.blackburn@curtin.edu.au

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