Eating Disorder Dynamic Intervention
Purpose
The goal of this study is to develop and test a digital program to help people with eating disorders in their everyday lives. The program uses brief surveys and sensor data collected by smartphones to understand when someone may be at higher risk for behaviors like restricting food, binge eating, or using unhealthy weight control behaviors.
Conditions
- Eating Disorders
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Binge Eating Disorder
- Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 18 Years and 70 Years
- Eligible Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- Age 18-70 2. At least 12 ED behaviors from the same behavioral category in the past 12 weeks (i.e., at least 12 binge eating episodes, at least 12 compensatory behaviors, and/or at least 12 instances of dietary restriction) 3. Ownership of a smartphone 4. Willingness to complete ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and sensor data collection 5. Live in the United States 6. Has a primary care provider or is willing to establish a primary care provider
Exclusion Criteria
- Inability to fluently speak, read, and write in English 2. Body mass index < 17.5 kg/m2 3. Medical complications of ED symptoms requiring immediate treatment 4. Current ED-focused therapy 5. Severe psychopathology (i.e., active suicidal ideation, psychosis, bipolar disorder, or substance use disorder) or intellectual disability inhibiting engagement in study protocols
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- N/A
- Intervention Model
- Single Group Assignment
- Intervention Model Description
- The study involves a micro-randomized trial design, in which participants will all receive just-in-time adaptive interventions, the content of which will be micro-randomized (i.e., randomized in the moment of delivery). Participants will not be assigned to groups at the start of the trail but instead will be assigned a specific just-in-time adaptive intervention (or no intervention) randomly at each instance when they are at elevated risk for eating disorder behaviors. All participants may receive all types of just-in-time adaptive interventions during the course of the study, but the order of receipt (and the specific timing of receipt) will vary between participants.
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None (Open Label)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental All Participants Receive Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAIs) through the EDDI App |
All participants will receive just-in-time adaptive interventions when their personalized model identifies that they are at risk for an eating disorder behavior. The content of the just-in-time adaptive intervention (i.e., the therapy skill targeted) will be randomized at the point of just-in-time adaptive intervention delivery. |
|
Recruiting Locations
Lebanon, New Hampshire 03766
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Trustees of Dartmouth College
Detailed Description
In this study, 170 adults with eating disorders will take part. They will regularly report on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors throughout the day. Based on this information, the program will send "just-in-time" support, which involves short, tailored suggestions that encourage the use of helpful coping skills right when they are most needed. The study has three main goals: 1. To better understand risk patterns: The investigators will use real-time data to build personalized models that predict when someone is at higher risk for eating disorder behaviors based on their own data and patterns. 2. To test which therapy skills work best and why: The investigators will examine how different evidence-based therapy skills (such as managing urges, improving mood, reducing strict dieting, and improving body image) help reduce eating disorder behaviors in daily life, and what psychological factors explain these effects. 3. To evaluate the program's usability: The investigators will assess whether participants find the digital support helpful, easy to use, and acceptable in their daily routines.