Adolescents' perspectives on a novel digital treatment targeting eating disorders: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders in adolescence are associated with high psychological distress, impaired function and high comorbidity. Despite the severity, eating disorders remain highly underdiagnosed and untreated. Digital technology provides promising opportunities for treatment, however studies focusing on digital treatments for adolescents with eating disorders are lacking. The main aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of adolescents with lived experience of eating disorders on factors they deemed to be relevant in the development of a novel digital treatment. METHODS: A qualitative intervention development study using semi-structured individual interviews. Data collection, coding and analysis were conducted using the principles of reflexive thematic analysis. Participants were adolescents aged 16-19 years, with a self-reported diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, currently in the final phase or completed psychological treatment for an eating disorder within the last five years. RESULTS: A total of 16 adolescents participated in the study, all females. Mean age was 17 ½ years (SD = 1.01). An in-depth understanding of the adolescents' perspectives was developed into three themes: Facilitating self-awareness and readiness to change; Strengthening interpersonal relationships and decreasing social isolation; Ensuring feeling seen and motivating regular use. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a unique insight into the perspectives of adolescents with lived experience of eating disorders. The uptake and engagement can be optimized in a novel digital treatment for eating disorders by taking the adolescents perspectives into consideration.

Views of young people with psychosis on using virtual reality assisted therapy. A qualitative study.

AIM: Service disengagement is a challenge in young individuals struggling with psychosis. Combining cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) with virtual reality (VR) has proven acceptable and potentially effective for symptoms and social functioning in adults with psychosis. However, studies focusing on young adolescents are lacking. The aim of the present study was to investigate the acceptability of VR-assisted CBTp among adolescents with psychosis. METHODS: A qualitative study investigating the acceptability of VR during exposure-based social training among adolescents with early onset psychosis. Thematic analysis was used to identify, analyse, interpret and report patterns from the qualitative interviews. RESULTS: A total of 27 adolescents with psychosis were invited to participate, 11 declined and 16 were enrolled (59%), and all completed the study. The participants were from 13 until 18 years old, mean age 16 years. None of them had previous experience with use of VR in therapy, but 10 out of 16 participants had prior experience with VR from playing video games. Regarding acceptability, 14 out of 16 had positive expectations towards using VR in CBTp, and they would prefer using VR during exposure-based social training to real-life training only. CONCLUSIONS: VR-assisted CBTp can be an acceptable intervention for adolescents with psychosis, given their comfort with technology and the opportunity to confront their fears in less threatening virtual social settings with fewer social risks. The present study yields support to continue developing VR-assisted therapy for adolescents, and focusing on VR-interventions for early onset psychosis.