Happy to write
Do writing assignments have a positive effect on the feelings of young people with an eating disorder?
It is sometimes said that you can get something off your chest by writing it down. This is precisely what we are researching in this initial study of how writing influences the mood of young people with an eating disorder.
Who can participate?
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Girls aged between 14 and 23 with an eating disorder
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Who are being treated or will be starting treatment at Accare
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Girls who speak Dutch
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Also young people whose eating disorder is (partially) in remission
Background
This study explores how writing influences the way that a young person with an eating disorder feels about herself. We aim to discover whether writing assignments have a positive effect on the feelings of young people with an eating disorder. The aim here is to improve the future treatment of eating disorders.
The research study
The research study will be conducted with individuals at Accare. It comprises short questionnaires and small computer-based writing assignments. The questionnaires include questions about how the young person is feeling and her thoughts about her body. The writing assignments focus on what a young person can do with her body, and on observing and describing details. If the young person wants, she can choose to follow a number of online sessions on the writing assignments after the end of the research study.
Collaboration
This study is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Maastricht.
All of our research studies on nutrition and eating disorders involve collaboration with the Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology at the University of Groningen. This takes place within the academic research group on nutrition disorders, eating disorders & obesity.