Piloting a Treatment to Address Social Media Use and Eating Disorder Risk in University Students

Primary intervention: self-criticism intervention. Participants are emailed a set of intervention modules in fillable PDF format, which use CBT techniques to address self-criticism in the context of appearance and social media. These are self-guided interventions which can be completed either on the computer or printed to be completed in hard copy. The intervention comprises 4 modules, each of which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, and which we will ask that they complete over one week. Because the intervention is delivered to participants digitally, it can be completed by participants in the location of their choosing. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires of primary and secondary outcomes at baseline, post-treatment, and one-week follow-up (the latter of which is optional). The intervention modules are not available from another source; this study is designed to test their feasibility and this is the first time they are being trialled. The first intervention module provides psychoeducation about self-criticism and self-compassion and the homework task asks participants to record 5 instances over a couple of days where they either self-criticise or use self-compassion. In the second module, the participant is asked to reflect on what they learned from the homework task, further psychoeducation about self-criticism and self-compassion is provided, and they complete a questionnaire about self-compassion to help them determine the things that get in the way of using self-compassion. The homework task for the second module is to run a behaviour experiment over the next 2 days where they use self-criticism one day and self-compassion the next day and record the outcomes of each approach. The third module includes a homework review, guides the development of individualised self-compassionate messages, and runs through an imagery rescripting exercise about a recent instance of self-compassion. The module three homework is to review the rescripted memory the following day. The final module includes a homework review, a problem-solving exercise around how to make changes to the way one uses social media to make it less likely to cause self-criticism about one's body and appearance. The homework for this final module is to implement the plan made during the problem-solving exercise and evaluate whether it has been helpful. There is one homework task per module, so 4 tasks in total, and each is designed to take 5-10 minutes to complete. The modules ask that participants complete each homework task before starting the next module. Intervention adherence will be assessed by questions in the post-treatment questionnaires asking for estimates of how much of the modules and the homework they completed. _______________________________________________________________________ Active control: social media curation intervention. Participants are emailed a set of intervention modules in fillable PDF format, which use CBT techniques to encourage participants to problem-solve their social media use and its impact on how they feel about their appearance. These are self-guided interventions which can be completed either on the computer or printed to be completed in hard copy. The intervention comprises 4 modules, each of which takes approximately 15 minutes to complete, and which we will ask that they complete over one week. Because the intervention is delivered to participants digitally, it can be completed by participants in the location of their choosing. Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires of primary and secondary outcomes at baseline, post-treatment, and one-week follow-up (the latter of which is optional). The intervention modules are not available from another source; this study is designed to test their feasibility and this is the first time they are being trialled. The first intervention module provides psychoeducation about social media and its relationship to eating disorder risk, and the homework task asks participants to record for 2 days when and why they use social media, and how it makes them feel. In the second module, the participant is asked to reflect on what they learned from the homework task and psychoeducation about social media literacy is provided. The homework task for the second module is to record examples of inauthentic/unrealistic things they see on social media. The third module includes a homework review and then asks participants to start considering the positives and negatives about their social media use and how they might be able to change it to make it more positive. The module three homework is to record over 2 days the types of content they see on social media and whether seeing that impacts them positively or negatively. The final module includes a homework review and then guides participants through the process of "curating their feed" - making changes to their social media use so that it may impact more positively on their wellbeing. The homework for this final module is to implement the plan for curating their feed and evaluate how social media impacts on their feelings now. There is one homework task per module, so 4 tasks in total, and each is designed to take 5-10 minutes to complete. The modules ask that participants complete each homework task before starting the next module. Intervention adherence will be assessed by questions in the post-treatment questionnaires asking for estimates of how much of the modules and the homework they completed.