Citation

Kennedy GA, Jean Forney K, Pinner D, Martinez KM, Buchman-Schmitt JM, Keel PK. Int. J. Eat. Disord. 2019; 52(2): 206-210.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/eat.23011

PMID

30663775

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Research suggests that weight suppression (WS) is linked to non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and that drive for thinness and depression may explain this association. We conducted a proof-of-concept study using a randomized control trial design to determine if improving body esteem and reducing depressive symptoms reduced NSSI in individuals with WS.

METHOD: Weight suppressed participants (N = 60) who engaged in NSSI were recruited from the community and randomly assigned to an on-line intervention or control condition. The on-line intervention was adapted from a cognitive-dissonance intervention originally designed to reduce thin-ideal internalization in females to an intervention to reduce internalization of unhealthy body ideals in both genders. Participants' weight/shape concerns, depressive symptoms, and NSSI were assessed at pre- and post-intervention, or at baseline and 2-week follow-up for controls.

RESULTS: Compared to controls, participants in the treatment condition reported greater decreases in likelihood of future NSSI [Cohen's d (95% CI) = -0.38 (-0.90-0.15)], weight/shape concerns [-1.19 (-1.75 to -0.62)], depressive symptoms [-1.00 (-1.56 to -0.45)], and significant improvements in appearance [1.27 (0.70-1.84)] and weight esteem [1.38 (0.80-1.96)].

DISCUSSION: Future work could test this intervention in a larger trial with an active alternative treatment condition.

© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

(MeSH terms) nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior; body image; cognitive dissonance; depression; proof of concept study; weight suppression