Analysis of a Motivational Chairwork Intervention
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A novel motivational chairwork intervention for inpatients diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa
IRAS ID
368067
Contact name
Laura Beckess
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Holloway, University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
People with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) often have mixed feelings about getting better. This can make treatment difficult, as many struggle to recognise the seriousness of the illness or feel unsure about changing. Helping people feel more motivated to recover is an important part of treatment. However, current approaches designed to increase motivation to change do not always work consistently, and there is no widely used early intervention for inpatients.
This project will explore whether the Future-Selves Chairwork Intervention (FSCI) is acceptable for inpatients with AN, and investigate how participants feel the intervention affects them. The intervention is a single session where individuals take on the roles of their future “recovered” and “not recovered” selves to help increase motivation for change.
Previous research with outpatients found that people generally found the FSCI helpful and manageable, and they shared useful insights about how it supported change. Inpatients, however, may experience the intervention differently. They often have increased mixed feelings about changing, lower motivation, and reduced emotional expression due to the effects of starvation. Because the FSCI is emotional and experiential, it is important to understand how inpatients respond to it. This could help develop the FSCI into a routine early intervention in inpatient services and support people to feel more ready for ongoing therapy in the community.
To explore this, participants will take part in a semi-structured interview after completing the intervention. These interviews will be transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), which helps researchers understand people’s personal experiences and how they make sense of them.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/LO/0339
Date of REC Opinion
5 May 2026
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion