Lived experience of severe and enduring eating disorder

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Lived experience of severe and enduring eating disorder: A narrative analysis

  • IRAS ID

    210390

  • Contact name

    Ciara Joyce

  • Contact email

    c.joyce@lancaster.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Lancaster University

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    210390, IRAS Project ID

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 10 months, days

  • Research summary

    This qualitative research is being completed as a doctoral thesis in clinical psychology and aims to explore the way in which individuals with experience of severe and enduring eating disorders (SEED) have come to understand their experiences, with a focus on how personal, interpersonal, social and broader political factors contribute to such understanding.

    People who experience SEED are reported to have a low recovery rates, with there being few efficacious approaches to intervention evidenced within this population. Qualitative research has sought to investigate service users’ experiences of eating disorder services and recovery. The current literature recommends that treatment move beyond targeting core areas of risk associated with eating disorders such as with weight restoration, and start developing ways of managing the personal and social costs of long-term presentations. This research will contribute to this literature by facilitating a greater understanding of the lived experience of people with SEED who are accessing services, in order to clarify what narrative components may characterise this.

    The study will recruit between 6 and 10 participants who are over 18 years of age, who self-report severe and enduring experience of eating difficulties and are currently accessing eating disorder services across the NHS sites in the North West of England. A narrative approach to analysis will be used. This will involve gathering and analysing participant’s life stories and experiences. After providing informed consent, participants will take part in individual interviews. The study is expected to take 10 months from recruitment to completion and will be disseminated accordingly.

  • REC name

    North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/NW/0543

  • Date of REC Opinion

    1 Aug 2016

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion