The E.A.V.E (Experience of an Anorexic VoicE) Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Experience of an Anorexic VoicE (EAVE) Study – testing the psychometric properties of a novel questionnaire measuring the presence and significance of an anorexic voice in anorexia nervosa.
IRAS ID
170624
Contact name
Kay Gant
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 27 days
Research summary
Interviews with people with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa have found they often describe experiencing their thoughts and feelings as a critical, inner voice. Researchers have called this the ‘anorexic voice’. It is thought that the anorexic voice may be a key part of anorexia and may explain why people can often struggle to recover from this eating disorder. For example, the anorexic voice may urge people to eat less, to exercise excessively, to make themselves sick or take laxatives, or make it difficult to tell others about their problems and get help. This study aims to develop and test a questionnaire to help researchers and clinicians to explore the anorexic voice. This measure is called the Experience of an Anorexic VoicE Questionnaire (EAVE-Q). People with a diagnosis of anorexia, aged 16 years or older, will be asked to fill in the questionnaire. We will explore whether the EAVE-Q can reliably measure the experience of the anorexic voice. We will also assess if EAVE-Q scores are linked to mood symptoms and quality of life. It is hoped that the EAVE-Q can be used in future research to help us better understand and treat anorexia.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0501
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion