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The Evidence Finder tool allows you to search published studies of treatment and prevention strategies for mental health and substance use issues in young people. You can use the filters to refine your search or browse by category.
Disorders - Eating Disorders
Santonastaso, P., Zanetti, T., Ferrara, S., Olivotto, M. C., Magnavita,
N., Favaro, A.
BACKGROUND: To explore the
impact of a prevention program on the eating and body attitudes of a sample of adolescent schoolgirls. METHODS: The program involved lessons and
group discussions of general adolescent problems and eating disorders. A total of 254 16-year-old schoolgirls were evaluated, of whom 154
participated in the program and a further 154 subjects formed the control group. Variations in weight, Eating Attitudes Test and Eating Disorders
Inventory at a 1-year follow-up were compared for the two groups. RESULTS: Among high-risk subjects, no significant differences were found between
the prevention and the control group. The preventive program appeared to reduce significantly body dissatisfaction and to decrease the risk of
bulimic attitudes in low-risk subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Providing schoolgirls with the correct information about eating disorders did not encourage
unhealthy attitudes to eating and weight regulation practices. However, for high-risk subjects more intensive and specific intervention may be
required, for which further research is needed.
Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics, 68(1) : 46-
50
- Year: 1999
- Problem: Eating Disorders
(any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Psychoeducation
Smolak, L., Levine, M. P., Schermer, F.
Abstract - Researchers have recently
called for the development of primary prevention of eating disor- ders programs aimed at elementary school students. The present study reports on the
development of a curriculum for fifth graders designed to encourage healthy eating, exercise, and body image while dis- couraging calorie-restrictive
dieting, exercising for weight loss, and the development of body dissatisfac- tion. The program consisted of ten lessons taught by the classroom
teachers. The influence of the curricu- lum on (1) knowledge about nutrition, body fat, and dieting; (2) attitudes about fat people and own body
(body esteem); and (3) behaviors, including attempts at weight reduction, consumption of fruits and veg- etables, and exercising, were evaluated in a
pre - post controlled experimental design. There were 222 white public school children who participated in both the pre- and posttesting, 167 of whom
were in the classrooms receiving the curriculum. Results indicated that knowledge was broadly improved by the cur- riculum. There were information
improvements in terms of nutrition, effects of dieting, and causes of body fat. Attitudinal changes were less pronounced, although the curriculum did
positively affect atti- tudes about fat people. Behavior, including eating patterns, exercise patterns, weight reduction attempts, and teasing of fat
children, was not changed by participation in the curriculum. ? 1998 Elsevier Sci- ence Inc.
Journal of Psychosomatic
Research, 44(3/4) :
- Year: 1998
- Problem: Eating Disorders
(any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Psychological Interventions
(any), Psychoeducation, Dietary advice, dietary change
Winzelberg, Andrew J., Taylor, C., Sharpe, Tamara, Eldredge, Kathleen L., Dev, Pravati, Constantinou, Philip S.
This study evaluated an eating disorder intervention multimedia
program modeled after self-help eating disorder treatment programs. It was hypothesized that women who completed the program would increase their
body satisfaction and decrease their preoccupation with weight and frequency of disordered eating behaviors. Participants were 57 undergraduate
females randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. Psychological functioning was assessed at baseline, at 3 mo postintervention,
and at 3 mo follow-up. Intervention group Ss significantly improved their scores on all psychological measures over time. When compared to the
control group, however, only the intervention group's improvements on the Body Shape Questionnaire were statistically significant. Findings indicate
that minimally effective eating disorder intervention programs can be delivered. It is suggested that a revised program that eliminates interface
problems and increases the structure of the intervention is likely to be even better received and more effective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008
APA, all rights reserved).
International Journal of Eating Disorders, 24(4) : 339-349
- Year: 1998
- Problem: Eating Disorders
(any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Self-help, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Mann, T., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Huang, K., Burgard, D., Wright, A., Hanson, K.
Prevention programs for eating disorders attempt to simultaneously prevent new cases from
arising (primary prevention) and encourage students who already have symptoms to seek early treatment (secondary prevention), even though ideal
strategies for these 2 types of prevention may be incompatible with each other. In the present study, an eating disorder prevention program was
evaluated in a simple of female college freshmen. In the intervention, classmates who had recovered from eating disorders described their experiences
and provided information about eating disorders. At follow-up, intervention participants had slightly more symptoms of eating disorders than did
controls. The program may have been ineffective in preventing eating disorders because by reducing the stigma of these disorders (to encourage
students with problems to seek help), the program may have inadvertently normalized them.
Health Psychology, 16(3) : 215-
25
- Year: 1997
- Problem: Eating Disorders
(any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Psychoeducation