Abstract
PurposeFor patients with eating disorders (EDs), early engagement in care is usually considered as a positive prognostic factor. The aim of the present study is to investigate how a single-day intervention devoted to an early experiential exposure to a variety of psychotherapy approaches, supports transition to specialised care and commitment to change in patients with EDs.MethodsOne hundred and sixty-nine outpatients newly diagnosed with an ED took part in a single-day workshop for groups of up to 10 patients, where they discovered and experienced eight psychotherapeutic approaches. Motivation to change care, and level of insight were assessed at baseline and 10 days after the intervention.ResultsMotivation and commitment to take active steps toward change (expressed by the “Committed Action” composite score) significantly improved after intervention (p<0.001), and a significant number of patients specifically moved from “contemplation” to “action” stage (p<0.001). The improvement of motivation to change is significantly associated to an increase of insight capacity (p<0.001), and this for almost all dimensions.ConclusionA single-day session devoted to experiencing a range of group psychotherapies increased patients’ insight and motivation to actively engage in care. Further studies including different factors and long-term outcomes evaluation may be necessary to better establish which aspects are specifically involved in patients' increased motivation for care and confirm potential longer-term benefits of this intervention.Level of evidenceLevel V: Opinions of respected authorities, based on descriptive studies, narrative reviews, clinical experience, or reports of expert committees.
Perfectionism in eating disorders: Are long-term outcomes influenced by extent and changeability in initial perfectionism?
