How do autistic young people experience FBT for anorexia nervosa?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative exploration of how autistic young people experience Family Based Treatment for anorexia nervosa
IRAS ID
333062
Contact name
Vanessa Haugaard
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 3 days
Research summary
Currently, treatments for eating disorders are designed for neurotypical people. This is problematic, as research suggests that approximately 20-35% of people with anorexia nervosa are also autistic. Autistic people with anorexia nervosa have been shown to have worse treatment outcomes compared to non-autistic people. Previous research has found that many of the ways that eating disorder services in the UK are designed means that they do not effectively meet the needs of autistic people. Little is known about how autistic young people with anorexia experience Family Based Treatment (FBT) for Anorexia Nervosa, which is the first-line treatment for anorexia nervosa within NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS). This is important because we know that most people develop anorexia nervosa during their teenage years. Understanding how autistic adolescents experience FBT for anorexia nervosa is vital for supporting the NHS to adjust therapies to meet the needs of this population group.
This study will interview 15-20 autistic young people aged 14-21 who have had FBT for anorexia nervosa. Interviews will focus how they experienced treatment, and what recommendations they may have for improving FBT for autistic young people. Research participants will be recruited from NHS Lothian CAMHS and through social media. The interviews will then be analysed to find common themes across the interviews using Thematic Analysis. This will then be written into a thesis and journal article.REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
24/IEC08/0019
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion