Web-based treatment program using intensive therapeutic contact for patients with eating disorders: before-after...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Eating disorders are prevalent in the Netherlands, with limited access to professional mental health care.
• A novel web-based treatment program was developed to increase accessibility and treatment reach.
• This program incorporates asynchronous, intensive, and personalized therapist-patient communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and patient satisfaction of a web-based treatment program for eating disorders.
• To assess treatment outcomes in a pilot study involving 165 patients.
• To analyze attrition rates and identify factors influencing treatment completion.

Main Methods:

• A pre-post design with 6-week and 6-month follow-ups was employed.
• Key outcome measures included eating disorder psychopathology, body dissatisfaction, BMI, physical/mental health, and quality of life.
• Participant satisfaction, attrition, and differences between diagnostic groups (EDNOS, BN purging, BN nonpurging) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• 54% of participants completed the 10-assignment program; completion was negatively impacted by severe body dissatisfaction and health issues.
• Significant improvements in eating disorder psychopathology, body dissatisfaction, quality of life, and mental health were observed post-treatment and sustained at 6 months.
• Improvements in psychopathology were consistent across all diagnostic groups; BMI improved only in obese participants.
• High patient and therapist satisfaction was reported, with a strong likelihood of program recommendation.

Conclusions:

• The web-based treatment program shows significant potential for improving eating disorder psychopathology.
• The program is effective across different eating disorder diagnostic groups.
• Intensive therapeutic contact within a web-based format is a viable approach for treating eating disorders.