AN EVALUATION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF AN ONLINE FAMILY-BASED INDICATED PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR ADOLESCENT EATING DISORDERS

Adolescent eating disorders are highly impairing class of mental illness, marked by chronicity and recurrence. Data indicate that early intervention, before anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN) symptoms become entrenched, leads to an increased likelihood of positive outcomes (Fisher, Schneider, Burns, Symons & Mandel 2001; Le Grange, Loeb, Van Orman & Jellar, 2004). As such, numerous prevention programs have been developed for adolescent eating disorders, with mixed success (Shaw, 2008, Stice, Shaw & Marti, 2007). Most recently, programs have utilized the technology of the Internet to make prevention and early intervention more accessible and cost effective for affected teens and families. The current study assessed the feasibility of an original Internet-based indicated prevention program for families of adolescents with subsyndromal eating disorders. The program was based on the empirically-supported Family Based Treatment (FBT) for adolescent AN and BN. Seven families (comprised of 7 caregivers and 7 adolescents with subthreshold levels of eating disorder symptoms) were enrolled in the study, and 4 families successfully completed all program requirements. Four separate aims were assessed including: evaluation of program acceptability, identification of recruitment and retention patterns, assessment of program compliance and dosage received, and analysis of preliminary outcomes. Results suggested that the program was acceptable to all participants, and that the program format and content were positively received. Preliminary outcome data was limited due to the small sample size, however, descriptive analyses showed that the program had a significant effect on the reduction of all cognitive and behavioral eating disorder symptoms, as well as on the reduction of adolescent depressive symptoms. Adolescent ix self esteem was not significantly impacted by program participation. Compliance results were less straightforward. Program adherence was mixed, and further investigation is needed to clarify patterns of compliance and retention. Finally, the recruitment strategies used were found to not be feasible. Despite a wide-ranging and multi-faceted recruitment strategy, rates were very slow. Further, a large percentage of interested potential participants had to be excluded, calling into question the appropriateness of the applicant pool that was accessed through the implemented program of recruitment. Implications of these findings, possible explanations and suggestions for future research are discussed.Ph.D. in Psychology, December 201