EDV x La Trobe Clinic

Organisation / Service

Eating Disorders Victoria

The research project operates as a clinical service, based out of EDV’s office in Abbotsford, Melbourne, or online via Telehealth. Participants eligible to partake in the study will receive no-cost treatment for eating disorders by randomly being assigned Guided Self-help Stepped Care or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

The study hopes to learn whether providing Guided Self-help Stepped Care in the first instance can increase access to eating disorder treatment. Researchers are also hoping to learn how to best to design a larger treatment program in a community service, such as EDV.

GSH: This approach is suitable for various eating disorders, including those without binge eating behavior. It's proven as effective as CBT-E. Over 16 weeks, participants will have nine 30-minute guided sessions with a clinician. They'll follow steps, complete self-help activities, and discuss progress and barriers in each session. After the 5th session, symptoms will be assessed, and based on results, participants will either continue guided self-help or switch to a 20-session CBT-E course.

CBT-E: Sessions 1–7 occur twice weekly, sessions 8–17 are weekly, and sessions 18–20 are every two weeks, each lasting 50 minutes. Participants will engage in between-session tasks like monitoring eating patterns and emotions, reading materials, and challenging eating-related thoughts. They'll also conduct collaborative weigh-ins with the clinician in each session.

National Strategy Standards and Actions

Treatment

Standard 4: Treatment models and practices are effective and evidence-based

Priority Action 4.4: Researchers, in conjunction with service providers and people with lived experience, to conduct research into existing as well as innovative treatment models to improve outcomes