The perceived impact of the anorexic voice on CBT-E. Version 1.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The perceived impact of the anorexic voice on CBT-E treatment outcomes
IRAS ID
255395
Contact name
John Fox
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Some individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) say they hear an internal voice that comments on their eating patterns and behaviours, often known as the anorexic voice. In the early stages of AN, this voice may be comforting and praise them, however it tends to become harsher and more controlling as the disorder develops. As the voice becomes critical, it makes people feel worse about themselves and weakens their ability to recover.
AN is also known to be a difficult to recover from. The most successful treatment is a psychological therapy called enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT-E), but this only works for half the people who have it. Possibly AN is difficult to treat because therapy doesn’t tackle the anorexic voice and so it remains critical, making it hard for people to change.
This study will speak to females with AN about their experiences of how anorexic voice has impacted on their treatment of AN using CBT-E. The interview will last around 60 minutes and participants will also be asked to complete a series of questionnaires to gather some baseline and demographic data. Female adults who have a diagnosis of AN from a healthcare professional and have experiences of hearing an anorexic voice will be able to participant in this study. They will be recruited through the NHS in Cardiff & Vale University Health Board. Additionally, adverts for the research will be placed on the charity BEAT’s website and social media so participants can volunteer to take part.
The researchers aim to identify how the relationship with the voice changes throughout treatment and recovery, and whether the anorexic voice has an impact on CBT-E treatment outcomes. This will then allow us to understand ways in which the voice could be challenged in therapy, hopefully making the treatment of AN more successful.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
19/WA/0075
Date of REC Opinion
23 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion