Externalisation in the treatment of anorexia nervosa
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Adolescent’s experiences of the use of externalisation as a therapeutic technique in the treatment of anorexia nervosa
IRAS ID
318621
Contact name
Naomi Alexandra Skolnick
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 30 days
Research summary
The study is interested in understanding the experiences of adolescents receiving treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN). Specifically, we’re interested in understanding what it’s like when people (parents, professionals etc) externalise an eating disorder. Externalisation is a technique where language is used to separate a problem from the person. In family therapy for AN (FT-AN), clinicians or parents may use language to talk about the eating disorder as a separate thing – for example, questioning whether a decision is being made the young person or the eating disorder. Research shows us that this technique is commonly used, and that clinicians view it as a central aspect of treatment. Clinicians have described how externalisation can be useful in providing a shared language to talk about the eating disorder, uniting the family together as allies against the problem, and reducing guilt or blame from parents’ perspectives.
However, adolescent voices are often missing from the existing research, and so we do not yet know if young people find it helpful or not. To understand what this experience is like, this qualitative study will conduct one-to-one interviews with young people, where we will have the opportunity to explore and understand the participants’ experience of the use of externalisation. The interview will take place via a video platform and should last about an hour. This project aims to better understand young people’s unique experiences and inform our understanding of the best treatment approaches for this age group.
This study is the responsibility of Alex Skolnick (a trainee clinical psychologist) at the University of Surrey and is being conducted as part of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. We will recruit participants who have received treatment from the specialist eating disorder service (Maudsley Centre for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders) at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0861
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion