A Brief Virtual ACT Workshop for Emotional Eating
- Conditions
- Emotional EatingEating Behavior
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Virtual ACT Workshop for Emotional Eating
- Registration Number
- NCT04457804
- Lead Sponsor
- McGill University
- Brief Summary
Emotional eating is a behaviour that has been linked to weight concerns, mental health concerns, and disordered eating. Effective interventions have been developed to treat emotional eating, however these exist solely in the context of promoting weight loss. Emotional eating is not exclusive to those who struggle with weight and thus interventions are needed that target those who engage in emotional eating regardless of their weight status. The present study aims to do so through the implementation of a brief online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop for emotional eaters.
- Detailed Description
Emotional eating is defined as increased food consumption in response to negative emotions, and has been linked to weight concerns, mental health concerns, and disordered eating behaviours. Effective interventions have been developed that address emotional eating, namely to improve weight loss. Such interventions are based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which encourages tolerance of internal cues, such as emotions, and external cues, such as food.
Previous studies have found that brief ACT interventions are effective for the reduction of emotional eating. Our laboratory has recently developed and pilot-tested a one-day ACT workshop intervention for emotional eating, which was found to be effective for reducing emotional eating and deemed feasible and acceptable by participants.
The present study was developed with the aim to adapt the above mentioned workshop intervention to an online format in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. The study aims to test the efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of a brief, online version of the above mentioned one-day ACT workshop for emotional eating. The workshops will be delivered through the Zoom online platform.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 30
- Self-identifying as emotional-eater
- Being over the age of 18
- N/A
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Online ACT workshop for Emotional Eating Virtual ACT Workshop for Emotional Eating All participants will be assigned to 2, 1.5 hour interventions using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques to help reduce emotional eating.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Emotional Eating - Post-Intervention Assessed at post-intervention (1 week following the first session) Emotional eating, as assessed by the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire Emotional Eating Subscale (DEBQ-EE). Participants are asked to rate the frequency with which they engage in particular eating behaviours, on a 5-point Likert-type rating scale from never (1) to very often (5), with higher scores reflecting higher emotional eating. Only the emotional eating subscale of the DEBQ will be assessed and is calculated by averaging the 13 items that assess emotional eating.
Emotional Eating - 2 weeks post-intervention Assessed 2-weeks following the second (last) session Emotional eating, as assessed by the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire Emotional Eating Subscale (DEBQ-EE). Participants are asked to rate the frequency with which they engage in particular eating behaviours, on a 5-point Likert-type rating scale from never (1) to very often (5), with higher scores reflecting higher emotional eating. Only the emotional eating subscale of the DEBQ will be assessed and is calculated by averaging the 13 items that assess emotional eating.
Emotional Eating - 3 months Post-Intervention Assessed 3-months following the second (last) session Emotional eating, as assessed by the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire Emotional Eating Subscale (DEBQ-EE). Participants are asked to rate the frequency with which they engage in particular eating behaviours, on a 5-point Likert-type rating scale from never (1) to very often (5), with higher scores reflecting higher emotional eating. Only the emotional eating subscale of the DEBQ will be assessed and is calculated by averaging the 13 items that assess emotional eating.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Distress Tolerance - Post-Intervention Assessed at post-intervention (1 week following the first session) Distress tolerance, as assessed by the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which they agree with statements aimed at assessing distress tolerance, absorption, appraisal, and regulation from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), with lower scores reflecting lower distress tolerance. Subscale scores are derived by calculating the means of the items that make up each subscale. Total score is calculating by averaging the four subscales.
Distress Tolerance - 2-weeks Post-Intervention Assessed 2-weeks following the second (last) session Distress tolerance, as assessed by the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which they agree with statements aimed at assessing distress tolerance, absorption, appraisal, and regulation from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), with lower scores reflecting lower distress tolerance. Subscale scores are derived by calculating the means of the items that make up each subscale. Total score is calculating by averaging the four subscales.
Distress Tolerance - 3-months Post-Intervention Assessed 3-months following the second (last) session Distress tolerance, as assessed by the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which they agree with statements aimed at assessing distress tolerance, absorption, appraisal, and regulation from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree), with lower scores reflecting lower distress tolerance. Subscale scores are derived by calculating the means of the items that make up each subscale. Total score is calculating by averaging the four subscales.
Food Craving Acceptance and Action - Post-intervention Assessed at post-intervention (1 week following the first session) Food craving acceptance and action, as assessed by the Food Craving Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (FAAQ). Items are rated on a 6-point Likert-type rating scale from 1 (very seldom true) to 6 (always true), with higher scores reflecting higher acceptance. Total score is derived by summing all items. Minimum score is 10 and maximum score is 60.
Food Craving Acceptance and Action - 2-weeks Post-intervention Assessed 2-weeks following the second (last) session Food craving acceptance and action, as assessed by the Food Craving Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (FAAQ). Items are rated on a 6-point Likert-type rating scale from 1 (very seldom true) to 6 (always true), with higher scores reflecting higher acceptance. Total score is derived by summing all items. Minimum score is 10 and maximum score is 60.
Food Craving Acceptance and Action - 3-months Post-intervention Assessed 3-months following the second (last) session Food craving acceptance and action, as assessed by the Food Craving Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (FAAQ). Items are rated on a 6-point Likert-type rating scale from 1 (very seldom true) to 6 (always true), with higher scores reflecting higher acceptance. Total score is derived by summing all items. Minimum score is 10 and maximum score is 60.
Mindful Eating - Post-Intervention Assessed at post-intervention (1 week following the first session) Mindful eating, as assessed by the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). It is a 28-item self-report measure that assesses five domains of mindful eating: disinhibition, external cues, awareness, emotional response and distraction. Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which extent they agree with each item from 1 ("never" / "rarely") to 4 ("usually"/ "always"), with higher scores reflecting higher levels of mindful eating. Total score is derived by taking the mean of the five subscales.
Mindful Eating - 2-weeks Post-Intervention Assessed 2-weeks following the second (last) session Mindful eating, as assessed by the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). It is a 28-item self-report measure that assesses five domains of mindful eating: disinhibition, external cues, awareness, emotional response and distraction. Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which extent they agree with each item from 1 ("never" / "rarely") to 4 ("usually"/ "always"), with higher scores reflecting higher levels of mindful eating. Total score is derived by taking the mean of the five subscales.
Mindful Eating - 3-months Post-Intervention Assessed 3-months following the second (last) session Mindful eating, as assessed by the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). It is a 28-item self-report measure that assesses five domains of mindful eating: disinhibition, external cues, awareness, emotional response and distraction. Participants are asked to indicate the extent to which extent they agree with each item from 1 ("never" / "rarely") to 4 ("usually"/ "always"), with higher scores reflecting higher levels of mindful eating. Total score is derived by taking the mean of the five subscales.
ACT Values Application - Post-intervention Assessed at post-intervention (1 week following the first session) Application of ACT values techniques taught during the workshop, as assessed by items developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with a number of value-based statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Values score was derived by taking the mean of the items, with higher scores reflecting greater value-consistent eating behaviors.
ACT Values Application - 2-weeks Post-intervention Assessed 2-weeks following the second (last) session Application of ACT values techniques taught during the workshop, as assessed by items developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with a number of value-based statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Values score was derived by taking the mean of the items, with higher scores reflecting greater value-consistent eating behaviors.
ACT Values Application - 3-months Post-intervention Assessed 3-months following the second (last) session Application of ACT values techniques taught during the workshop, as assessed by items developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed with a number of value-based statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Values score was derived by taking the mean of the items, with higher scores reflecting greater value-consistent eating behaviors.
Emotional Eating Frequency - Post-intervention Assessed at post-intervention (1 week following the first session) As assessed by a self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of times they engaged in emotional eating in the past week.
Emotional Eating Frequency - 2-weeks Post-intervention Assessed 2-weeks following the second (last) session As assessed by a self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of times they engaged in emotional eating in the past week.
Emotional Eating Frequency - 3-months Post-intervention Assessed 3-months following the second (last) session As assessed by a self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of times they engaged in emotional eating in the past week.
Ability to Stop Emotional Eating - Post-intervention Assessed at post-intervention (1 week following the first session) As assessed by a single self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of instances in which they began to engage in emotional eating and were able to stop themselves, on a scale from 1 (none of the time) to 5 (very often).
Ability to Stop Emotional Eating - 2-weeks Post-intervention Assessed 2-weeks following the second (last) session As assessed by a single self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of instances in which they began to engage in emotional eating and were able to stop themselves, on a scale from 1 (none of the time) to 5 (very often).
Ability to Stop Emotional Eating - 3-months Post-intervention Assessed 3-months following the second (last) session As assessed by a single self-report item developed by the study's authors. Participants were asked to report the number of instances in which they began to engage in emotional eating and were able to stop themselves, on a scale from 1 (none of the time) to 5 (very often).
Feasibility Data: Recruitment Rates Assessed during the recruitment period (i.e. over a period of 2 months) Overall number of participants who expressed interest in the workshop over the recruitment period.
Feasibility Data: Workshop Attendance Rates Assessed during the treatment period: from baseline to post-treatment (i.e. over the course of 1 week). Number of participants who received the intervention (i.e. who attended both workshop sessions) out of the number of participants who signed up.
Feasibility Data: Dropout Rates Assessed from baseline to the 3-month follow-up assessment. Number of participants who have dropped out or withdrawn from the study at any time point from baseline assessment to last follow-up assessment. Number of dropouts and withdrawals will be kept track of at each study time-point.
Feasibility Data: Loss-to-Follow-Up Rates Assessed at the 2-week follow-up time point and the 3-month follow-up time point. Number of participants (out of those who have attended the workshop) who have not completed the follow-up questionnaire(s). The number of participants with missing follow-up data will be kept track of at all follow-up time points (post-treatment, 2-week follow-up, and 3-month follow-up).
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
McGill University
🇨🇦Montréal, Quebec, Canada