Qualitative patient experiences from the Self-Blame and Perspective-Taking Intervention for eating disorders

Abstract

Plain English summary Adult patients with eating disorders frequently report challenges in developing and maintaining supportive social relationships. A group therapy intervention utilizing structured art tasks in conjunction with psychoeducation about interpersonal relationships was piloted in twenty-four women with eating disorders. Participants provided written feedback about their experiences in the intervention. These responses were coded by three raters to identify consistent themes related to those experiences. Participants reported benefits related to self-acceptance and emotional regulation, valued learning about their brain and behaviors, and appreciated peer interactions in this setting. In sum, this adjunctive and structured outpatient group targeting social interactions was acceptable to outpatients with eating disorders.

Keywords

• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimia nervosa
• Binge eating disorder
• Perspective-taking
• Recovery
• Attributions