Focused Minds Program: Evaluating the effect of an online intervention on perfectionism and disordered eating

Participants will be randomised in one of three groups for the trial: an active control group, a waitlist group, or an intervention group. Intervention group: Participants will be given access to an online intervention. The intervention program will be self-guided with a researcher’s email address provided for optional support. The intervention will consist of 8 online modules, each requiring approximately 20 minutes. Content for these modules has been adapted from the self-help guide "Overcoming Perfectionism" by Roz Shafran, Sarah Egan, and Tracey Wade. The modules consist of cognitive behavioural therapy activities designed to challenge the participants' perfectionistic thoughts and behaviours. The sessions used short videos, reflection exercises, thought diaries, and behaviour monitoring worksheets. Participants are encourage to complete activities both online and using downloadable Word documents. Participants are recommended to complete 2 sessions per week. Participants will complete weekly measures for four weeks to assess for symptoms of perfectionism and disordered eating. Weekly measures will be emailed to participants at the end of each week using survey invitation links from Qualtrics (survey hosting platform). Links to these surveys will expire 6 days after being distributed. Participants will be asked to complete the measures irrespective of whether they have engaged with the online program. Each survey is expected to take approximately 5 minutes to complete; the baseline and end of treatment surveys are expected to take approximately 10 minutes to complete. The intervention website can be accessed from the following link: https://www.focusedmindsprogram.com/ Adherence to the intervention will be monitored through self-report items in the weekly surveys as well as through the 'Visitor Analytics' section of the website dashboard. The Visitor Analytics is able to provide information relating to average number of minutes spent accessing the website, number of pages accessed, and number of times the website was accessed. Visitor Analytics is not able to provide information about individual website users. Intervention Outline: Session 1: Provides psychoeducation about what is perfectionism and why perfectionism is different to having high standards. Session activity addresses the consequences of reducing perfectionism or staying the same. Session 2: Provides psychoeducation about what factors maintain a person’s perfectionism. Session activity requires the participant to create their own cycle of perfectionism. Session 3: Provides psychoeducation about the cognitive-behavioural model of psychology and introduces thinking styles that can feed into a person’s perfectionism. Session 4: Provides psychoeducation around self-criticism and self-compassion. Session activity involves practicing self-compassion and challenging the inner self-critic. Session 5: Addresses procrastination and why procrastination can be a by-product of perfectionism. Session activities explore ways of tackling procrastination. Session 6: Addresses some of the common misconceptions that exist around the benefits of being a perfectionist and overworking. Session activity includes using a schedule to plan pleasurable activities and breaks. Session 7: Involves a self-reflection of what contributes to the participant’s self-worth. The session activity involves creating a self-worth pie chart. Session 8: Summarises the previous sessions’ content. Session activity involves creating a relapse management plan. Active control group: Participants will be given access to the Clinical Centre for Interventions’ Perfectionism modules. These modules will be made available after logging in to the relevant page of the Focused Minds website (https://www.focusedmindsprogram.com/). Each session will include a downloadble pdf handout. Each handout requires participants to complete cognitive-behavioural activities on the pdf. Sessions are expected to take approximately 20 minutes to complete, although some exercises may require behaviour monitoring over 3-4 days. Full content for these modules can be accessed from: https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Perfectionism. Intervention outline: Session 1: Provides psychoeducation around perfectionism, addresses helpful and unhelpful aspects of being a perfectionist. Session 2: Addresses the possible reasons underlying a person’s perfectionism. Session 3: Addresses the maintenance factors which keep perfectionism going. Session 4: Uses a cost-benefit analysis to identify reasons to change or reasons to continue being a perfectionist. Session 5: Identifies ways to challenge and change thoughts that keep perfectionism going. Introduces strategies to help identify perfectionistic thinking. Session 6: Identifies the rules and assumptions which a person with perfectionism may use to help them achieve their high standards. Session 7: Addresses the importance placed on achievement and looks at ways to re-evaluate achievement. Session 8: Provides a summary of all previous sessions and creates a plan for the continuation of using the techniques learnt in these modules. Participants are recommended to complete two perfectionism modules per week, over the course of four weeks. Participants will have access to all modules at all time during the course of their enrolment, although they are encouraged to complete the modules in the order provided. Participants will complete weekly measures to assess for symptoms of perfectionism and disordered eating. Weekly measures will be emailed to participants at the end of each week using survey invitation links from Qualtrics (survey hosting platform). Links to these surveys will expire 6 days after being distributed. Participants will be asked to complete the measures irrespective of whether they have engaged with the pdf handouts. Each survey is expected to take approximately 5 minutes to complete; the baseline and end of treatment surveys are expected to take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Participants will be sent one reminder email 3 days after the survey is distributed prompting them to complete the survey if they have not already done so. Adherence to the program will be monitored through self-report items in the weekly surveys.