Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) for Eating Disorders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) for Eating Disorders: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Patients' Experiences
IRAS ID
192151
Contact name
Kenneth Mullen
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 14 days
Research summary
Eating disorders are serious psychiatric conditions which can be very difficult to treat. The three most commonly defined diagnoses are Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS). There are a variety of therapies advocated for the treatment of eating disorders including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The overall recovery rate for eating disorders is low with AN having the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders. Research suggests that less than half of those with AN and BN actually recover. This suggests we need to develop our knowledge about the factors resistant to change in eating psychopathology in order to address the low recovery rates.
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is a more recent approach which recognises there are three affect regulation systems: the threat detection and protection system; the drive, vitality and achievement system and the contentment and affiliative soothing system. It has been suggested that those with eating disorders often function in either the threat or drive system due to high levels of shame and self criticism with the self-soothing system most often underdeveloped. Research is now beginning to focus on the role self-compassion may have for the severity of eating psychopathology. One way of understanding what is beneficial about the role of self-compassion and CFT is to speak directly to the individuals diagnosed with eating disorders to ask about their experience of CFT and what they found helpful or unhelpful about the approach. This is a crucial step in developing the therapy. The current study was developed in response to this question.
The aim of the current study is to explore the experience and perceived benefits of Compassion Focused Therapy for individuals with eating disorders who have taken part in a 12-week group through the use of semi-structured interviews. An additional aim is to explore how CFT may have impacted upon and individual’s perception of shame, self-criticism and self-directed hostility and which aspects of the CFT programme were helpful or less helpful
REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
16/WS/0120
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jun 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion