The Effectiveness of Lived Experience Involvement in Eating Disorder Treatment: A Systematic Review

This systematic review sought to understand the effectiveness of lived experience mentoring, by people recovered from an eating disorder, with clinical samples currently receiving eating disorder treatment.

The systematic review was conducted using PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global and reviewing reference lists of included papers. Articles were included if they: (1) were intervention studies that included peer (recovered from an eating disorder) involvement, (2) delivered the intervention to clinical samples (or carers with direct involvement in treatment), (3) were in English, and (4) included quantitative results.

Eleven studies were included across randomized control trials (RCTs), case series, and a case study; there was variation in quality. Findings varied considerably with some concluding that lived experience mentoring led to significant improvements for mentees, while other studies found no significant differences. Mentor outcomes were often not evaluated. Of those that did assess mentors, there is preliminary evidence for some benefits to participation but also the potential for harm.

There is a need for further research in this area using high-quality RCTs that address the risk of bias. It is important that lived experience peer mentors are monitored on key outcomes, provided with adequate training and ongoing supervision, and are reimbursed for their involvement.

This systematic review is the first review to focus on the use of peer mentors recovered from an eating disorder contributing to interventions for people receiving treatment for an eating disorder. All included studies present quantitative results. Given the emerging interest of lived experience mentoring, understanding its effectiveness for both mentees and impacts on mentors continues to be of critical importance. Resumen.

Esta revisión sistemática buscó comprender la efectividad de la consejería de la experiencia vivida por parte de personas recuperadas de un trastorno de la conducta alimentaria, con muestras clínicas que actualmente reciben tratamiento para el trastorno alimentario.

La revisión sistemática se realizó utilizando PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus y ProQuest Dissertations, and Theses Global y revisando las listas de referencias de los artículos incluidos. Los artículos se incluyeron si: (1) eran estudios de intervención que incluían la participación de pares (recuperados de un trastorno de la conducta alimentaria), (2) administraban la intervención a muestras clínicas (o cuidadores con participación directa en el tratamiento), (3) estaban en inglés y (4) incluían resultados cuantitativos.

Se incluyeron once estudios en ensayos controlados aleatorios (ECA), series de casos y un estudio de caso; hubo variación en la calidad. Los hallazgos variaron considerablemente y algunos concluyeron que la consejería de la experiencia vivida condujo a mejoras significativas para los aprendices, mientras que otros estudios no encontraron diferencias significativas. Los resultados del mentor a menudo no se evaluaron. De los que evaluaron a los mentores, hay evidencia preliminar de algunos beneficios de la participación, pero también del potencial de daño.

Se necesitan estudios de investigación adicionales en esta área que utilicen ECA de alta calidad que aborden el riesgo de sesgo. Es importante que los mentores de pares de la experiencia vivida sean monitoreados en los resultados clave, provistos de capacitación adecuada y supervisión continua, y sean remunerados por su participación.Reprinted from Int J Eat Disord 2023; 56:331-349, with permission from Wiley. Copyright © 2023.