FREED-M Series

Recovery from an eating disorder is possible.

Seeking help is the first step.

Early intervention gives young people the best chance to recover from eating disorders (EDs). An important focus of early intervention is shortening the time between a person first developing symptoms and starting treatment (duration of untreated eating disorder; DUED). Patient-related factors (e.g. poor mental health literacy and help-seeking difficulties) are strongly associated with DUED. The aim of this study was to co-design and test the feasibility of FREED-Mobile (FREED-M), an online intervention tool with short animations focusing on key psychoeducational messages around help-seeking (identifying and seeking help for symptoms), the body (highlighting gut health), social media (effects of and strategies for managing social media including diet/health/fitness) and the malleability of changes to cognition (e.g. thinking style, socioemotional processing, relationships). These films were then supplemented by downloadable in-depth online information that participants can access. This tool aimed to improve knowledge about EDs, increase motivation to seek treatment and teach early steps towards change or recovery, thus reducing DUED.

This piece was created in collaboration with FREED, an organisation that provides support for 16 to 25-year-olds living with an eating disorder.

Click here to read the full publication: Shortening duration of untreated illness in young people with first episode eating disorders: protocol of a randomised controlled feasibility trial of a smartphone friendly multi-modal decision-making tool (FREED-M) to improve help-seeking

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This work was supported by a National Institute of Health Research grant under its Research for Patient benefit scheme (NIHR201175). Grant holders: Karina Allen, Helen Sharpe, Sarah Byford, Kimberley Goldsmith, Danielle Glennon, Victoria A. Mountford, Nina Grant, Vibhore Prasad, Ulrike Schmidt.

 Contributors: Karina Allen, Danielle Glennon, Luiza Grycuk, Caroline Pimblett, Priya Popat, Rachel Potterton, Ulrike Schmidt, Helen Sharpe

 Special thanks to: The FREED Network, Eating Disorders Research Team (King’s College London)