Exploring the preliminary effectiveness and acceptability of food-based exposure therapy for eating disorders: A case series of adult inpatients
Open accessAbstract
Although exposure therapy is effective in reducing eating-related fears and avoidance in individuals with eating disorders (EDs), there has been little study of this treatment in inpatient settings. To address this gap, we conducted a case series to evaluate the effects of a food-based exposure therapy intervention on eating-related fears and avoidant behaviors among adults being treated for an ED in an inpatient hospital setting. Patients ( N = 106) were provided psychoeducation on the treatment approach, aided in the development of an exposure hierarchy containing fear-evoking stimuli related to eating (e.g., feared foods), and guided in completing exposure exercises and gradually progressing through the hierarchy. Results showed that patients experienced significant reductions in eating-related fears and avoidant behaviors from pretreatment to posttreatment. Acceptability of the intervention was reasonably well-established by (a) acceptable rates of treatment participation and completion, (b) favorable ratings of the intervention provided in a posttreatment satisfaction survey, and (c) the absence of any exacerbations in the frequency of compensatory weight control behaviors (e.g., self-induced vomiting) over the course of treatment. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed in the light of clinicians’ concerns about and underutilization of food-based exposure therapy for EDs, particularly in inpatient settings.
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The fear reductions found on questionnaires assessing eating disorder related fears are comparable or even stronger than the reductions found in previous research.
“Still, the fear reductions we found on the questionnaires assessing eating disorder related fears are comparable or even stronger than the reductions found in previous research [43, 64, 65]”
From Anxiety matters: a pilot lab study into food, weight, and virtual body exposure in anorexia nervosa (2024) · cites this paper as [43]
The current findings add to prior research by showing the potential and success of exposure therapy in the treatment of anorectic fears.
“On the other hand, the current findings add to prior research by showing the potential and success of exposure therapy in the treatment of anorectic fears (e.g. [26, 37, 39, 41–43, 64, 66].”
From Anxiety matters: a pilot lab study into food, weight, and virtual body exposure in anorexia nervosa (2024) · cites this paper as [43]
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- Authors
- Farrell, N. R., Bowie, O. R., Cimperman, M. M., Smith, B. E. R., Riemann, B. C., & Levinson, C. A.
- Affiliations
- Rogers Memorial Hospital, USA
- University of Louisville (US)
- Corresponding author
- Farrell, Nicholas R.
- Venue
- Journal of Experimental Psychopathology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2019-01-01
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 1
- ISSN
- 2043-8087 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2951726450
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 2.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Experimental Psychopathology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Keywords
- eating disorders, inpatient care, avoidance behavior, exposure hierarchy, treatment acceptability, self-induced vomiting, psychoeducation, treatment satisfaction
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