Kjeldstad Maren, Mundal Ingunn, Kingswick Irene, Tveit Håvard Horndalen, Lara-Cabrera Mariela L
Norwegian Resource Center for Eating Disorders (ROS), Trondheim, Norway.
Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
BMC Psychiatry. 2025 Sep 26;25(1):876. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-07325-x.
The implementation of peer-led programs provided by individuals with lived experience of mental disorders has been increasingly acknowledged as a key component in improving the quality of mental health services. When considering research on eating disorders, peer-led online programs may be an alternative approach to enhancing participants' well-being. Furthermore, increasing evidence suggests that mindful self-compassion (MSC) may be a helpful approach to strengthening self-compassion as a prevention program for eating disorders. However, the feasibility and acceptability of online group-based peer-led MSC programs remain unexplored in this context.
In this pilot study, using a single-arm pre-post pilot design, lived experience experts delivered and managed the program themselves and collected the data. Participatory action research principles informed the study's quantitative design. Adults with symptoms of eating disorders were invited to participate. The primary outcome was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the MSC program, measured by the dropout rate, attendance rate, and client satisfaction. As a secondary outcome, the program's preliminary efficacy on self-compassion and psychological well-being was investigated.
Twenty-five people contacted the user organization, and all agreed to participate. However, 18 participants (78%) responded to the questionnaires at both measurement points. Two participants dropped out. The attendance rate was excellent, with 35% of the participants achieving 100% attendance, 39% completing seven of the eight group sessions (87.5% attendance), and 26% of the participants achieving 75% attendance. The participants reported to be very satisfied with the MSC program, with a total mean score of 14.4 (SD = 1.42, 95% CI [13.7, 15.1]) out of a maximum of 16 points. The participants also showed significant improvement in self-compassion and psychological well-being.
The findings indicate that the program was both feasible and acceptable for adults with eating disorder symptoms. Additionally, participants reported significant improvements in self-compassion and psychological well-being. However, as this was the first study to examine such a program in this context, these preliminary findings warrant further research. Nonetheless, these findings suggest that peer-led online MSC programs may offer an accessible, community-rooted, and person-centered addition to ED services, particularly for individuals underserved by traditional models.
由有精神障碍生活经历的个人提供的同伴主导项目的实施，已日益被视为改善心理健康服务质量的关键组成部分。在考虑饮食失调研究时，同伴主导的在线项目可能是提升参与者幸福感的一种替代方法。此外，越来越多的证据表明，正念自我同情（MSC）作为饮食失调预防项目，可能是增强自我同情的一种有效方法。然而，在此背景下，基于在线小组的同伴主导的MSC项目的可行性和可接受性仍未得到探索。
在这项试点研究中，采用单臂前后试点设计，有生活经历的专家自行实施和管理该项目并收集数据。参与式行动研究原则为该研究的定量设计提供了指导。邀请有饮食失调症状的成年人参与。主要结果是通过辍学率、出勤率和客户满意度来评估MSC项目的可行性和可接受性。作为次要结果，研究了该项目对自我同情和心理健康的初步疗效。
25人联系了用户组织，所有人都同意参与。然而，18名参与者（78%）在两个测量点都回复了问卷。两名参与者退出。出勤率很高，35%的参与者达到100%的出勤率，39%的参与者完成了八次小组会议中的七次（出勤率87.5%），26%的参与者达到75%的出勤率。参与者报告对MSC项目非常满意，在满分16分中，总平均分是14.4（标准差=1.42，95%置信区间[13.7，15.1]）。参与者在自我同情和心理健康方面也有显著改善。
研究结果表明，该项目对有饮食失调症状的成年人来说既可行又可接受。此外，参与者报告在自我同情和心理健康方面有显著改善。然而，由于这是首次在这种背景下研究此类项目，这些初步发现需要进一步研究。尽管如此，这些发现表明，同伴主导的在线MSC项目可能为饮食失调服务提供一种可及的、以社区为基础且以人为本的补充，特别是对于那些传统模式服务不足的个体。
