Attention Training and Its Effects on Body Image Disturbance

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Body Dissatisfaction; Eating Disorder Symptoms
• Interventions: Behavioral: placebo training; Behavioral: attention training

• Registration Number: NCT01110265
• Lead Sponsor: University of Sydney

Brief Summary

Research has consistently found attentional biases towards negative weight-related stimuli in individuals with eating disorders. It has been suggested that these biases may act as a vulnerability factor for the development and maintenance of body dissatisfaction and may therefore be an important target for intervention. Previous studies have demonstrated the capacity to modify the patterns of attention allocation to threatening stimuli in a variety of anxiety disorders, with a subsequent and sustained reduction in anxiety symptoms. Thus, the present study aimed at testing the efficacy of attention training in reducing attentional biases and eating disorder symptoms in individuals with elevated levels of body image disturbance and eating disorder symptomatology of clinical severity. Thirty-two participants were randomly allocated to receive eight sessions of a 10-minute computer task aimed at training their attention away from weight-related stimuli or a control placebo training condition. Results showed that participants in the attention training group had a significantly greater reduction in their attentional bias and body dissatisfaction from pre- to post-training relative to the placebo condition. At follow-up, both groups showed a significant decrease in body dissatisfaction from their pre-training levels. The only significant difference between groups in eating disorder symptoms at follow-up was in terms of the attention training group experiencing a greater reduction in weight and shape concerns.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2009-06
• Primary Completion: 2009-12
• Study Completion: 2010-01
• Status Verified: 2010-04
• Study First Submitted: 2010-04-22
• Study First Submitted QC: 2010-04-22
• Last Update Submitted: 2010-04-22
• Study First Posted: 2010-04-26
• Last Update Posted: 2010-04-26

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 32

Inclusion Criteria

• If they have a score on the Body Shape Questionnaire of 113 or more AND a score in the EDE-Q of 4 or more in any subscale.

Exclusion Criteria

• attention bias score of <-10

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
placebo training	placebo training	-
attention training	attention training	-

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

The University of Sydney; 🇦🇺 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia