Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) seeks to lower shame and help people develop compassion for personal distress and shortcomings. There is increasing evidence to support the benefits of incorporating CFT-based interventions into the treatment of eating disorders (EDs). Building on the investigators' prior research, this study will examine the effects of a two-week CFT-based self-compassion letter-writing intervention on patients with eating disorders. Participants will be recruited from the wait-list of patients scheduled to begin treatment at the outpatient St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton Eating Disorders Program, and will be randomly assigned to the two-week letter-writing intervention or to a control group. Results will inform the integration of new empirically-derived interventions into ED treatments to improve the currently dismal rates of ED recovery.
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Weight- and Body-Related Shame and Guilt Scale (WEB-SG)
Timeframe: Change from baseline to post-2 weeks of intervention/control condition
Self-compassion Scale (short form; SCS-SF)
Timeframe: Change from baseline to post-2 weeks of intervention/control condition
Readiness to Change Eating Behaviours
Timeframe: Change from baseline to post-2 weeks of intervention/control condition