SPEAKS feasibility trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study of Specialist Psychotherapy with Emotion for Anorexia in Kent and Sussex (SPEAKS)
IRAS ID
269047
Contact name
Anna Oldershaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North East London NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes people to lose weight and keep themselves at a very low weight. There are many reasons why people develop anorexia, but one common reason given is that it helps them to feel in control of things and that thinking about food and calories can distract from difficult feelings
or worrying thoughts and anxieties. It appears, therefore, that people can find their anorexia useful in managing emotions, and that after having the illness for a while, they become scared to make changes, even if they would like to, as they do not know how to cope without it. Psychological talking therapy is recognised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as the best option for treating anorexia in adults and can lead to some improvements in weight and mood. At
present there is no one particular type of therapy that stands out above other talking therapies. We think that talking about feelings and working to find ways to approach them would be useful.
We have developed a new psychological therapy working with emotional difficulties called SPEAKS (Specialist Psychotherapy with Emotion for Anorexia in Kent and Sussex). This will be tested in what is called a feasibility study. This will involve giving it to 35 people with anorexia who come to specialist eating disorder services within the NHS. They will have the new therapy for one year instead of that normally offered. All their other NHS care will remain the same. The goal is to see how feasible the new therapy is and how easily it can be put in practice. At the end of their therapy, we will ask participants and their therapists what they thought, what was useful and what they would change. We will use this feedback to improve the therapy.REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1530
Date of REC Opinion
9 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion