Pilot Intervention for Social Biases in Eating Disorders

Both behavioral, psychological, and cognitive differences related to social cognitive function have been related to illness-state in eating disorders, but interventions that directly target these problems are limited. This pilot intervention explores whether a brief art-therapy team-building intervention coupled with psychoeducation about social behavior can change self-concept or clinical symptoms in patients with eating disorders. Participants will complete pre-treatment assessments related to social behaviors and clinical symptoms, attend four two-hour group sessions, and provide two follow-up post-treatment assessments at 1-4 weeks after the treatment and 3-5 months later. Comparisons between the pre-intervention data and the first follow-up will be the primary outcome measures. The primary hypotheses are that participants will show increases in self-esteem and positive self-attributions and decreases in eating disorder symptoms after the intervention. The secondary hypothesis is that other clinical symptoms (depression, anxiety) will be improved after the intervention. Feedback from participants about their experience with the study will assess perceived benefits as well as acquisition of the psychoeducation targets.