Self-Compassion in Compulsive Exercise in Eating Disorders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring Self-Compassion in Compulsive Exercise in Young People with Eating Disorders
IRAS ID
338717
Contact name
Natasha Cogings
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that involve disordered eating and compensatory behaviours, such as compulsive exercise. Compulsive exercise is highly rigid exercise, resulting in negative effects on psychology and physical health. Compulsive exercise is associated with negative outcomes and is a risk factor for relapse from an eating disorder. Compulsive exercise is generally an under-researched area compared to other factors within eating disorders. There are confusing guidelines and contradictory opinions surrounding theoretical and clinical applications of compulsive exercise in eating disorders.
Self-compassion is a novel area in exercise in eating disorders but is considered to be a crucial protective factor across mental health conditions. Research has shown that people with eating disorders have lower levels of self-compassion. Limited studies have explored the relationship between compulsive exercise and self-compassion in eating disorders, but some findings report that lower levels of self-compassion significantly predict elements of compulsive exercise. This may be important to explore and consider for interventions. There is a lack of understanding of this area for young people in emerging adulthood with eating disorders and limited qualitative exploration of the experience of compulsive exercise.
Therefore, this project aims to propose a further exploration of the experience of compulsive exercise for young people with eating disorders, to consider self-compassion as a key process.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0833
Date of REC Opinion
12 Nov 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion