title: Acceptability and feasibility of self-help Cognitive Remediation Therapy for anorexia nervosa delivered in collaboration with carers: a qualitative preliminary evaluation study.
abstract: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder without a recommended first-line treatment. Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) is showing great promise in helping patients reduce cognitive inflexibility and excessive detail focus, thinking styles that could make engaging in psychological therapies difficult. CRT has shown to be effective, feasible and acceptable in both individual and group formats, and positive qualitative data has been gathered from both service users and clinicians. The aim of the current study was to assess the use of CRT as a self-help treatment for individuals with AN delivered in collaboration with carers. Six families underwent a six-week self-help CRT intervention. Feedback was gathered from qualitative interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Neuropsychological outcomes were also collected. Participant feedback regarding the intervention was generally positive, with participants describing a number of benefits such as it creating a space for families to spend time together outside of the eating disorder, acting as a 'gateway' for more emotional work and helping participants to gain insight into their cognitive profiles. These preliminary findings suggest that self-help CRT delivered in collaboration with carers is an acceptable form of treatment, and adds to the growing literature supporting CRT for AN.
authors.affiliation: King׳s College London (KCL), Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, PO59, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: King׳s College London (KCL), Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, PO59, London SE5 8AF, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Trust Eating Disorders Adult National Service, UK.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Treasure
authors.affiliation: King׳s College London (KCL), Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, PO59, London SE5 8AF, UK; South London and Maudsley NHS Trust Eating Disorders Adult National Service, UK; Illia State University, Department of Psychology, Georgia. Electronic address: kate.tchanturia@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tchanturia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000628:therapy*; D017028:Caregivers; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012648:Self Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anorexia nervosa; Carers; Cognitive remediation therapy; Family; Self-help; Thinking style