The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if providing eating disorder patients with education about the consequences of cannabis (marijuana) use on mental health, gastrointestinal symptoms, eating disorder symptoms, and eating disorder treatment effectiveness increases their knowledge about the cannabis use consequences, intention to reduce cannabis use, and motivation to seek treatment for their cannabis use. The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does education about consequences of cannabis use increase eating disorder patients' knowledge about the risks of cannabis use? 2. Does education about the consequences of cannabis use increase intention to reduce cannabis use and seek cannabis use treatment among those with eating disorders? 3. Does cannabis use interfere with how successful eating disorder treatment is for eating disorder patients? All participants will receive 20 weeks of eating disorder treatment. In week 1 of treatment, participants will either be assigned to receive education about cannabis use consequences, or be assigned to a control condition where they receive education about consequences of poor sleep. Participants will be asked to complete a number of questionnaires that measure knowledge about cannabis use consequences, intention to reduce use and seek cannabis use treatment, eating disorder symptoms, and cannabis use habits. Researchers will assess how effective providing education about cannabis use consequences is on changing knowledge about cannabis use risks, intention to reduce use, and intention to seek cannabis use treatment. It will also be examined if effectiveness of eating disorder treatment is related to cannabis use habits.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
80
This intervention will provide psychoeducation to eating disorder patients about the risks of using cannabis on mood, anxiety, sleep, substance use, gastrointestinal symptoms, eating disorder symptoms, and eating disorder treatment outcomes.
Eating disorder patients in the control condition will receive psychoeducation about impacts of poor sleep on mental health and eating disorder treatment outcomes, and strategies to improve sleep hygiene.
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, West 5th Campus
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Knowledge of cannabis use consequences
Self-perceived knowledge about consequences of cannabis use will be measured using a 100 point visual analogue scale. Higher scores will indicate greater self-perceived knowledge about the consequences of cannabis use.
Time frame: Will be measured at baseline (i.e. 5 minutes into Session 1 of treatment for eating disorders before cannabis psychoeducation is administered), and again at 140 minutes into Session 1 of treatment for eating disorders.
Intention to reduce cannabis use
Intention to reduce personal cannabis use will be measured using a 100 point visual analogue scale. Higher scores indicate greater intention to reduce cannabis use.
Time frame: Will be measured at baseline (i.e. 5 minutes into Session 1 of treatment for eating disorders before cannabis psychoeducation is administered), and again at 140 minutes into Session 1 of treatment for eating disorders.
Intention to seek cannabis use treatment
Intention to seek cannabis use treatment will be measured using a 100 point visual analogue scale. Higher scores indicate greater intention to seek cannabis use treatment.
Time frame: Will be measured at baseline (i.e. 5 minutes into Session 1 of treatment for eating disorders before cannabis psychoeducation is administered), and again at 140 minutes into Session 1 of treatment for eating disorders.
Motivations for cannabis use
Motivations for cannabis use will be measured using the Marijuana Motives Questionnaire (5 subscales measuring motivations regarding enhancement, coping, conformity, expansion, and social). Responses range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater endorsement of that motivation. Subscale scores are calculated by taking the average score of subscale items. Motivations for cannabis use will also be measured using the Comprehensive Cannabis Motivates Questionnaire (8 subscales measuring motivations regarding food, medicinal, sleep, social, to get high, coping, conformity, creativity). Responses range from 1-5, with higher scores indicating greater endorsement of that motivation. Subscale scores are calculated by taking the average score of subscale items.
Time frame: Measured at baseline (i.e. Week 1 of CBT for eating disorders) and through treatment completion (i.e. Week 20 of CBT for eating disorders).
Cannabis use frequency
Will be measured weekly for 20 weeks using a Likert-type question and at Week 1 and Week 20 of CBT for eating disorders using the Daily Sessions, Frequency, Age of Onset, and Quantity of Cannabis Use Inventory.
Time frame: Weekly use will be monitored for 20 weeks using a Likert-type question. The Daily Sessions, Frequency, Age of Onset, and Quantity of Cannabis Use Inventory will be measured twice during Week 1 and Week 20 of CBT for eating disorders
Eating disorder symptoms
Measured using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, which assesses for symptoms such as restrictive eating, binge eating, purging, exercise, and body image. This measure has 4 subscale scores (restraint, concern about eating, weight concerns, and shape concerns) and one global score. Items are answered on a scale of 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater eating disorder symptoms. Subscale scores are calculated by taking the average of subscale item scores. The global score is calculated by averaging the sum of the 4 subscale scores.
Time frame: Administered at Week 1 (baseline) and Week 20 of CBT for eating disorders.
Impairment caused by eating disorder
Measured using the Clinical Impairment Assessment. Assesses for impairment caused by eating disorder symptoms, such as negative emotions, concentration difficulties, social impairment. Items are responded to on a scale of 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating greater impairment on that item. A total score is calculated by summing all item scores.
Time frame: Administered at Week 1 and Week 20 of CBT for eating disorders.
Problematic cannabis use
Measured using Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test-Revised. Assesses for indicators of problematic cannabis use, such as inability to reduce use, using in risky circumstances, increased impairment, and frequency of use. Items are answered on a scale of 0 to 4, with higher scores indicating more problematic use. A total score is calculated by summing item scores.
Time frame: Administered at Week 1 and Week 20 of CBT for eating disorders.
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