Digital guided self-help for eating disorders: thematic analysis of participant text messages to coaches
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Authors
Digital guided self-help for eating disorders (GSH-ED) can reduce treatment disparities. Understanding program participants’ interests throughout the program can help adapt programs to the service users’ needs. Participants were 383 college students receiving a digital GSH-ED, who were each assigned a coach to help them better utilize the intervention through text correspondence. A thematic and affective analysis of the texts participants had sent found they primarily focused on: strategies for changing their ED-related cognitions, behaviors, and relationships; describing symptoms without expressing an active endeavor to change; and participants’ relationship with their coach. Most texts also expressed affect, demonstrating emotional engagement with the intervention. Findings suggest that participants in GSH-ED demonstrate high involvement with the intervention, and discuss topics that are similar to those reported in clinician-facilitated interventions. The themes discussed by digital program participants can inform future iterations of GSH-ED, thereby increasing scalability and accessibility of digital evidence-based ED interventions.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Eating Disorders, The Journal of Treatment & Prevention |
Volume | 31 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 191-199 |
Number of pages | 9 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |
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