Online Imaginal Exposure

University of Louisville208 enrolled

Overview

This study evaluates if imaginal exposure therapy can decrease symptoms of eating disorders and anxiety, and test an online format of IE to maximize its ability to reach as many individuals with eating disorders as possible. All participants will complete four imaginal exposure sessions and will complete questionnaires prior to receiving this treatment, as well as complete follow up questionnaires at 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month.

Eating disorders (EDs) are tenacious mental disorders that are difficult to treat. EDs are often accompanied by anxiety disorders, which exacerbate the problem. Better ED treatments are imperative, and it is likely that targeting comorbid conditions, such as anxiety, will facilitate ED treatments. Imaginal exposure is used in anxiety disorders to face fears that are not accessible or practical to address via in-vivo exposures. For example, a patient with PTSD cannot re-experience her trauma in real life, but she can imagine the past trauma and experience the subsequent anxiety. For patients with AN, catastrophic outcomes such as abandonment or immediate fatness are similarly impossible to recreate as in-vivo exposures. Patients cannot become fat solely for the purpose of the exposure, but they can imagine what it would be like to become fat. The investigators are unaware of any literature using imaginal exposure therapy to induce fears of fatness and conducted a case study to test whether imaginal exposure could, firstly, induce fears of fatness and then promote reduction in anxiety and eating disorder symptoms. In this case study, the investigators found that imaginal exposure therapy was effective at reducing anxiety and eating disorder behaviors. Imaginal exposure therapy (IE) has been shown to be an extremely effective treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. IE has also been shown to be effective for the treatment of eating disorders using case studies. However, IE has not been systematically applied to the eating disorders. The purpose of this study is to test if 1) imaginal exposure therapy can decrease symptoms of eating disorders and anxiety, and 2) test an online format of IE to maximize its ability to reach as many individuals with eating disorders as possible.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Conditions

Eating Disorder Exposure Anorexia Nervosa Bulimia Nervosa Binge-Eating Disorder Therapy

Interventions

Imaginal Exposure therapyBEHAVIORAL

All participants will complete the same arm, which is four sessions of imaginal exposure across a one month time period. Each session is separated by 1 week.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 14 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * At least 14 years of age (no age limit) * Currently meet criteria for an eating disorder (using the eating disorder diagnostic scale), OR have met criteria for an eating disorder in the last year, OR endorse significant eating disorder fears * At least one significant eating disorder related fear. Exclusion Criteria: * Under 14 years of age * Do not meet eating disorder related criteria * Do not meet criteria for mania, psychosis, or suicidal ideation will be excluded.

Locations (1)

Eating Anxiety Treatment Laboratory and Clinic

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Eating disorder symptoms are assessed by the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire

The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ), a self-reported measure, is assessed at multiple time points throughout the duration of the study and is used to examine the attitudes and behaviors in individuals with eating disorder symptoms.

Time frame: Up to 12 Months

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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