Online Body Image Single-Session Interventions

Following completion of baseline demographic questions and state and trait measures, participants are randomly allocated to one of three interventions or a control group. All three interventions are Single Session Interventions (SSI), brief interventions that require no more than 30 minutes to complete. One of the interventions has been adapted from an existing SSI, Project Personality https://osf.io/259jv/ The other two single session interventions were created for this study are thus new content, not available from another source. All three SSIs are delivered using the Qualtrics platform and are completely online, individual, and self-paced (not guided). The content on Qualtrics includes text and images presented on embedded Powerpoint slides. The questions during each SSI included qualitative reflections, in part to check comprehension. Quantitative items are also included at the end of each SSI as a manipulation check (for example rating how much various components were covered to check understanding). Qualtrics also collects data on question completion and time spent completing tasks. The Body Neutrality SSI starts by asking participants to help the researchers work on way to help improve body image for young people. Psychoeducation about body image is provided, followed by an overview of body neutrality. Examples of young people learning about body neutrality are provided. The SSI then covers strategies to increase body neutrality and encourages participants to participant in tasks at each step, including responding to body image thoughts and feelings with mindfulness, appreciating the body's functionality, caring and respecting the body, acknowledging that self-worth encompasses many things (de-emphasising the role appearance has in self-worth), and practical strategies to pick from and commit to trying over the coming week. Participants are then provided with their individualised body neutrality plan based on their responses to the activities. After a final testimonial from a young person and concluding remarks, participants are asked questions to reflect on what they have learned and to provide feedback about the SSI. Reflection and comprehension questions are also asked several times throughout the SSI. The Body Positivity SSI is similar to the Body Neutrality SSI. It starts by asking participants to help the researchers work on way to help improve body image for young people. Psychoeducation about body image is provided, followed by an overview of body positivity. Examples of young people learning about body positivity are provided. The SSI then covers strategies to increase body positivity and encourages participants to participant in tasks at each step, including replacing negative body image thoughts and feelings with body positive alternatives, appreciating what is loved about the body, caring and respecting the body, acknowledging that self-worth encompasses many things (de-emphasising the role appearance has in self-worth), and practical strategies to pick from and commit to trying over the coming week. Participants are then provided with their individualised body positivity plan based on their responses to the activities. After a final testimonial from a young person and concluding remarks, participants are asked questions to reflect on what they have learned and to provide feedback about the SSI. Reflection and comprehension questions are also asked several times throughout the SSI. The third SSI, titled Adaptive Brain, was adapted from an existing project (link provided above). It starts by asking participants to help the researchers work on the best ways to provide information about the brain to people experiencing eating disorders. Case studies with cartoon figures are provided as examples of young people with eating disorders. Research on the impact of starvation on the brain is provided, followed by psychoeducation on how the brain is adaptive and can be changed. Examples such as the famous Phineas Cage case is provided. Participants are asked questions to reflect on what they have learned and are asked to imagine themselves in different scenarios, such as having an eating disorder and speaking to someone else who has an eating disorder. This is to assess understanding of the adaptive brain psychoeducation and its application to hypothetical scenarios. Following completion of the SSI (or control) participants are allocated to, they complete state measures for a second time. One week later, they are asked to complete the trait measures as a follow-up.