None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
In digital intervention trials for binge eating, each participant is provided with a standard program. This one-size-fits-all approach does not take into account participant preferences and needs. One way to potentially improve treatment outcomes and increase intervention usage is to give participants the opportunity to select from multiple digital intervention programs based on their preferences, needs, and symptom profile. Whether such preferences can translate to better outcomes has yet to be demonstrated. In this trial, we will experimentally test whether treatment outcomes can be improved by allowing participants to choose which intervention program they want to work through. The following hypothesis was derived. Participants allocated to the preferred condition (i.e., can select from two digital programs they want to receive) will demonstrate better retention, engagement, and primary and secondary symptom reduction than participants allocated to the forced condition (i.e., where they will be administered one of the two digital programs at random).
Interventions
There are two different digital interventions for binge eating. In this trial, participants will be randomized to one of two groups: (1) they will be provided one of the below two intervention programs at random ("forced"); (2) they will be asked to select which intervention program they would prefer to receive based on a small description of each ("preferred").
The first program will be a internet-based intervention designed to primarily target extreme dietary restraint as the mechanism to re
There are two different digital interventions for binge eating. In this trial, participants will be randomized to one of two groups: (1) they will be provided one of the below two intervention programs at random ("forced"); (2) they will be asked to select which intervention program they would prefer to receive based on a small description of each ("preferred"). The first program will be a internet-based intervention designed to primarily target extreme dietary restraint as the mechanism to reduce binge eating. The internet intervention is composed of 4 sessions. 1. Psycho-education: information on what dieting means, when it can become harmful, and why it can promote binge eating. 2. Self-monitoring: the importance of monitoring behaviors, thoughts, and emotions related to food, eating, and dieting 3. Regular eating: participants taught how to adopt a pattern of regular, flexible eating approach. 4. Food exposure: participants are taught how to overcome fear and anxiety around "forbidden" foods. The second digital intervention will be delivered only via a smartphone app. The app is based on transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioural therapy (Fairburn, 2008) in that it is designed to target a range of factors implicated in the maintenance of binge eating (e.g., overvaluation with weight/shape, extreme dietary restraint & mood intolerance). There are also 4 modules to this app: 1. Psychoeducation about binge eating and its cycle 2. Implementing self-monitoring and regular eating 3. Learning healthy coping strategies through acceptance, mindfulness, and problem solving 4. Building a better body image Each session/module of the two interventions will take around 30-60 minutes to complete, and participants will be encouraged to practice the strategies taught in each session on a daily basis. Therefore, total time commitment will vary from person to person. Participants will be encouraged to stay on each session for around 7 days prior to moving to the next session, although they will be instructed that they can go at a pace that suits themselves. The total duration of the interventions will be 4 weeks, though participants have the opportunity to continue using the interventions after this period. Each session/module will include: written text, quizzes/ interactive video or audio recordings discussing the content of the session and how to implement the prescribed strategies; downloadable handouts (created specifically for the purposes of this study) to complete the prescribed activities; and quizzes designed to consolidate learning. Adherence will be monitored by assessing whether participants complete each of the sessions/modules, including how much of the session/module will be completed.
Sponsors
Deakin University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Primary purpose
Treatment
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Participants must: 1) Be aged 18 years or over 2) Have access to the internet or smartphone 3) Experience the presence of recurrent binge eating, defined as binge eating at least once per fortnight, on average, over the past 3 months via self-report.
Exclusion criteria
No other exclusion criteria will be employed.
Outcome results
None listed