Acceptability, Feasibility, and Preliminary Effectiveness of a Mobile App for Teens With or at High Risk for Eating...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Adolescent Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• Eating disorders (EDs) present a significant treatment gap, particularly among adolescents.
• Novel digital interventions are needed to address the high prevalence and early onset of EDs in teens.
• The optimal level of human support and features (e.g., social networking) in app-based ED interventions requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile app intervention for teens with or at high risk for EDs.
• To compare the effectiveness of three app-based intervention arms: self-help, guided self-help (GSH), and GSH with social networking (GSH+).

Main Methods:

• A pilot randomized controlled trial involving 148 adolescents with or at high risk for EDs.
• Participants were recruited via social media and an online ED screening tool.
• Interventions were delivered over 3 months, with assessments at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.

Main Results:

• Qualitative feedback indicated positive perceptions of the app's acceptability, feasibility, and impact on ED thoughts and behaviors.
• No significant differences were found across groups for global ED psychopathology, though all groups showed significant improvement over time (d = -0.93).
• All intervention conditions led to significant reductions in binge eating behaviors, with the GSH group showing the greatest rate of reduction (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• Digital self-help interventions, both unguided and guided, appear to be scalable options for adolescents with or at high risk for EDs.
• Guided self-help may offer augmented benefits for specific subgroups, particularly in reducing binge eating behaviors.
• Further research is warranted to optimize digital interventions for adolescent eating disorders.