Research

Below are research projects that are being undertaken by ANZAED members.  Each projects has ethics permission granted from the appropriate institution

Contact Us to have your research project posted (free for Members).  See Website Listing Policy for guidelines

Treatment for Pediatric Eating Disorders: Perspectives of Health Professionals

We are recruiting health care professionals who provide care for children or youth with eating disorders to complete a survey about their views on clinical care for paediatric eating disorders. 

We are looking for individuals to participate who:

  • Are proficient in English
  • Have provided clinical care to children or youth with eating disorders (age 25 years or under) in the past year
  • Currently live in either Canada or Australia

We expect that it will take participants approximately 15 minutes to complete the survey.

If you have any questions or would like more information about this study, you may contact the research team at: EDResearch@bcchr.ca. If you would like to participate in this study, please visit the website or scan the QR code in the flyer.

We invite you to share this information letter with colleagues who provide care for paediatric eating disorders. Thank you for your consideration of this invitation.

How Do Clinicians Diagnose Atypical Anorexia Nervosa?

  • Are you a clinician currently working in the field of eating disorders, or have you done so in the past?
  • Atypical Anorexia Nervosa is important to understand, but it is not very clearly defined, particularly in terms of weight. Would you like to contribute to a study aiming to understand how Atypical Anorexia Nervosa can be more usefully defined?
  • Do you have 30 minutes to spare for this vignette study?

We aim to understand what weight loss boundaries clinicians use to diagnose someone with atypical Anorexia Nervosa. Taking part in the study will involve reading a series of short case vignettes. After each vignette, you will be asked to rate how confident you are that the individual would be diagnosed with a number of eating disorder diagnoses (according to the DSM-5), and the treatment you would recommend. You will remain anonymous throughout.

If you would like to take part in this study, please access the online information sheet. Once you have completed the consent form, you will be automatically directed to the survey.

This study has been approved by the University of Sheffield’s Ethics Review Procedure.

Researchers: Jessica Beard (j.beard@sheffield.ac.uk); & Glenn Waller (g.waller@sheffield.ac.uk)
Institution: University of Sheffield
Flyer: Click Here

Do you have lived experience of any eating disorder? Then we would like to collaborate with you!

The goal of this research study is to redesign an existing suite of validated online cognitive testing games to better appeal to diverse audiences. We are therefore inviting individuals aged 18-40 who have had a current or past diagnosis of an eating disorder and are fluent in English to participate. Individuals whose lived experiences also include neurodivergence and/or general mental health challenges are welcomed. 

Participation involves completing a brief online eligibility survey and zoom call, and then eligible participants will attend EITHER two focus groups (scheduled on the mornings of 1 June and 6 July) at Monash University’s Clayton campus, OR an online game testing and feedback session (date to be confirmed). Individuals participating in the focus groups will need to reside within commuting distance.

This study has been approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (MUHREC), project reference 29393. Those interested in participating may register or learn more here

Contact: Emily Colton | M: 0404 413 843 | E: emily.colton@monash.edu 
Institution: Monash University
Closing Date: 31/05/2023

The Lived Experience of the Assessment and Treatment of Compulsive Exercise in individuals with Eating Disorders

Compulsive exercise is a symptom present in most eating disorders. Research has consistently highlighted its impact on various treatment outcomes and quality of life. In recent decades, researchers and clinicians alike have advocated for the implementation of structured exercise interventions into eating disorder treatment programmes. However, assessment and treatment of compulsive exercise across treatment settings is heterogeneous. Given the importance of this symptom, a standardised approach to its assessment and treatment appears warranted. Previous research has highlighted the usefulness of standardised assessment tools for compulsive exercise such as the CET and the EED, and has illustrated that individuals with eating disorders benefit from interventions targeting exercise. However, little is currently known about the perspectives of individuals with an eating disorder regarding the assessment and treatment of compulsive exercise.

A lived experience perspective of the assessment and treatment of compulsive exercise will likely facilitate a closer investigation of current practices as well as challenges faced by eating disorder patients. Lived experience research can also add valuable in-depth knowledge on topics that have not been extensively investigated, and has been documented to have numerous benefits for researchers and affected individuals alike (Honey et al., 2020). To the authors’ knowledge, there are currently no studies investigating the perspectives of eating disorder patients on the assessment and treatment of compulsive exercise. The proposed study hence aims to gather qualitative data in this subject area.

Research Question: What is the lived experience of assessment and treatment of compulsive exercise for people with an eating disorder?
Methods/ Data Used: Interviews are a tool that is often used in qualitative research to collect a wide range of data and isolate common themes, which can then be used to inform further research. There are a number of studies in the eating disorder field which have made use of this methodology. The proposed study aims to recruit approximately 10 to 15 adult participants with an eating disorder who are willing to participate in an online interview to discuss the abovementioned topic. These numbers are within the range of other studies in the eating disorder field. Demographic data will be collected for description of sample, and participants will complete the Compulsive Exercise Test and the EDE-Q for a baseline assessment of eating disorder psychopathology and compulsive exercise behaviour. The researchers will prepare a list of questions to instigate discussion on various aspects of the assessment and treatment of compulsive exercise.
Ethics Approval: Granted by the University of Sydney Human Ethics committee (2023/110).

Do you live in a larger body and have or have had an eating disorder?
We know that those who live in a larger body often face significant barriers to treatment. This research, being conducted by Monash University, is aiming to educate health professionals to better recognise and help those in a larger body with an eating disorder. 

What will be asked of you?
You will be asked to complete a one-hour interview with a researcher. The interviewer will ask you to describe your experience of getting an eating disorder diagnosis and interaction with the healthcare system through treatment. You will be asked to consider what barriers you faced and whether there were elements that could have been improved. This interview will then be used (audio, transcript and/or video) in a package for health professional education. 
We will also ask if you are interested in helping us create the educational package for health professionals. This part of the research could be as involved as you would like it to be. We respect your knowledge and wisdom in this area. You will have the opportunity to view your contribution before it is released to maintain your autonomy.

If you are interested in taking part in this project, please contact Dr Christie Bennett (Christie.bennett@monash.edu) to organise a time to talk.

Monash University HREC Number: 32271

IncludED Study

We are seeking to better understand eating disorder & mental health experiences in the LGBTQIA+ community and invite anyone aged 16+ who identifies as LGBTQIA+ to participate in this 15-minute online survey. Thank you for your support!

Research Team: Dr Jane Miskovic-Wheatley, Dr Phillip Aouad, Marcellinus Kim, Kai Schweizer, Dr Sabina Vatter.
Institution: InsideOut Institute, The University of Sydney
Website: IncludED Study
Ethics #: Sydney LHD (RPAH Zone); X22-0419
Study Dates: 19/02/2023 – 31/12/2023 
Contact: Dr Sabina Vatter (Phone: 02 8627 5690 | Email: insideout.research@sydney.edu.au

Have you heard about body neutrality and functionality appreciation? How are these applicable to ED prevention and treatment?

Researchers at UniSC are recruiting participants into two studies examining the use and understanding of concepts of body neutrality and functionality appreciation. We are inviting clinicians and academics who work in the body image or eating disorder space, as well as people with a lived experience of an eating disorder, to take part in the research. We are interested in how you might use these approaches, and how future interventions may be informed by this information. These projects will run until August 2023.

The body neutrality study is an anonymous 20-30 minute online survey with full details here. The functionality appreciation study is a 1-hr interview with full details here. This project is run in collaboration with Collective Health Co and funded by UniSC. Both projects have ethical approval from the UniSC Human Research Ethics Committee (A221835, A231886, respectively)

Both projects are led by AProf Kate Mulgrew (kmulgrew@usc.edu.au; 07 5456 5584) and Dr Angela Hinz. We thank you for your support of this research.

Seeking Psychologists for Research Participation Opportunity — Exploring Clinician Understanding and Experience of the New Medicare Scheme in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

Researchers from the University of Melbourne are investigating the new Medicare reforms for Eating Disorders by exploring clinicians’ knowledge, satisfaction, and experiences with Eating Disorder treatment under the new reforms in current practice. Please click this link for a comprehensive Plain Language Statement detailing participant information related to this project.

This survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Ethics approval has been received from the Office of Research Ethics and Integrity at The University of Melbourne (reference number: 2022-23541-33729-4).

Please click this link to complete the survey.

Student researcher: Haley Kirk, Master of Clinical Psychology at The University of Melbourne | E-mail: hekirk@student.unimelb.edu.au 
Senior Lecturer and Primary Supervisor: Associate Professor Isabel Krug | E-mail: isabel.krug@unimelb.edu.au |Ph: (03) 9035 8551
Co-Supervisor: An Binh Dang – Master of Clinical Psychology & PhD Candidate | E-mail: dangb1@student.unimelb.edu.au

For more info contact viahekirk@student.unimelb.edu.au or +61 481 297 460 (or any of the other researchers listed above).
Closing date: 30th July 2023 

Do you currently have an eating disorder?

By participating in this short online survey you will help develop a new questionnaire that will enable people with eating disorders, researchers and clinicians to better understand and measure body image disturbance.

We are seeking individuals aged 18 years who currently have an eating disorder, to participate in this online study. You will be asked questions about typical experiences with your body shape and size, eating habits, and some personality traits. Participation is anonymous and will last around 25 minutes. At the end you can choose a charity to which we will donate $5 AUD.

Click here to learn more about this study and to access the survey: https://t.ly/avk3

If you have any questions about this study, please contact Katarina Prnjak at k.prnjak@westernsydney.edu.au

Nature and psychological wellbeing survey (6 x $50 draw)

How does being in nature affect your psychological wellbeing?
Your responses will contribute to an international effort aiming to better understand the role of nature in our wellbeing.
To be eligible for the study you must be:

  • 18 years or older
  • An Australian resident

Participation in the online survey will take approximately 25 minutes. Volunteers will go into the draw to win one of six $50 vouchers.

Survey link:  http://go.unimelb.edu.au/2dwi

For any questions about the study, please contact Isabel Krug at Isabel.Krug@unimelb.edu.au

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, That Is Not What I Look Like at All: Exploring Self-Perception

(Online via Zoom) You are invited to take part in an online self-perception study. We hope to learn what psychological factors, including problems with eating and body image concerns, may influence how flexible self-perception is.

What will I be asked to do? Should you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete three online components:

Phase 1). A short 10-minute pre-screening survey to assess your eligibility, where you will be asked to:
•       Complete an online questionnaire assessing your current eating behaviours.

If you meet our eligibility criteria, you will then be invited to complete:

Phase 2). An online experiment via Zoom, where you will be asked to:
•       Complete an online questionnaire
•       Pose for a neutral photograph that only our research team will see
•       Complete some online experimental tasks which assess self-perception (this will involve looking at a picture of your face, viewing a video of another person’s face with various expressions and mimicking such facial expressions when instructed)
•       The time needed to complete this is not expected to exceed 2-hours.

Phase 3). A clinical interview via Zoom, where you will be asked to:
•       Respond to questions assessing your current eating behaviours.
•       The time needed to complete this is not expected to exceed 1-hour.

The overall time commitment for the entire study is not expected to exceed 3 hours 10 minutes.

Requirements for participation:
•       You are female
•       You are aged 18 years or over
•       You are of Caucasian, South-Eastern Asian or Eastern Asian ethnicity

What are the possible benefits?
The information gathered from this research will contribute to the literature on the effects of self-perception on eating patterns and body image.

Based upon which phase/s of the study you are eligible for, you will receive ONE of three forms of compensation:

1. If you only complete Phase 1 of the study (but not Phase 2) you will be entered into a draw to win one of six x $50 e-gift cards. OR
2. If you complete Phases 1 and 2 (but not Phase 3) you will receive a $40 e-gift card.  OR
3. If you complete Phases 1, 2 and 3 you will receive a $60 e-gift card.

How can I participate?
Please click this link to complete Phase 1: Link

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact me directly (Jade Portingalejportingale@student.unimelb.edu.au)

Investigation of Transdiagnostic Factors Underlying Depression, Anxiety, and Eating Disorders: A Focus on Community, Medically-Ill and Clinical populations

This study is longitudinal, involving the completion of two online surveys that ask questions about physical and psychological health. Survey-one will take approximately 1hr to complete. At 6-months later, participants will be invited by email to complete survey-two, taking approximately 30mins. Upon completion of the second shorter survey, participants will be entered into a draw to win 1 of 10 $50 (AUD) vouchers.

Participants can access survey-one here: https://melbourneuni.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0JVw2sIw1cUYT3g

Research findings will be published in scientific journals and help to inform the development of targeted psychological interventions.

This research is led by senior clinical researchers in this area Dr. Litza Kiropoulos and Dr. Isabel Krug and PhD candidates Rebekah Davenport and An Dang at the University of Melbourne. You can find more information about the Transdiagnostic Research Program on our website: https://psychologicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/research/msps-research-groups/mood-and-anxiety-disorders-laboratory/transdiagnostic-research-program-trp.

Research Participation | Road testing a guide to finding a therapist for the treatment of an eating disorder

What is the study about?
A team of researchers and consumers have developed a checklist that can help consumers navigate the process of establishing the suitability of potential private treatment providers.

Who can participate?
We wish to obtain feedback from consumers with an eating disorder, or family members involved in treatment, or treatment providers, who would be willing to comment on a preliminary version of the checklist. Feedback will be used in the ongoing development of the checklist. 

What will I be asked to do?
The survey will ask you to provide demographic information and then get you to rate each item in the checklist for suitability. The online survey will ask open questions such as “What is the most/least helpful aspect(s) of the checklist?” and should take no more than 20 minutes to complete.

How can I participate?
Please press control and click on this link: https://qualtrics.flinders.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_0fxIsj09LVLCorH

If you have further questions, please contact Professor Tracey Wade at tracey.wade@flinders.edu.au.