A Randomized Control Trial to Assess the Impact of Weighted Blankets on Anxiety Among Inpatients With Anorexia Nervosa and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: a Study Protocol

The control group, or usual care group, will receive occupational therapy standard of care. Occupational therapy standard of care provide training, education, and therapeutic activities including relaxation strategies. These coping mechanisms are aimed at reducing the impact of anxiety on a patient's performance and participation in necessary and meaningful activities of daily living, refeeding and medical stabilization. Specifically, these interventions will include diaphragmatic and yogic breathing exercises, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) education and exercises, therapeutic restorative yoga activities, occupational therapy group participation, aromatherapy, identifying and promoting engagement in meaningful leisure activities, client-centered sensory diets to provide patients with consistent preferred sensory experiences, and individualized checklists and schedules to grade the self-initiation of effective coping strategies.

In the weighted blanket intervention group, patients will receive usual occupational therapy care in addition to a weighted blanket. The patient will be given an appropriately weighted blanket, within 1 lb +/- of 10% of body weight as measured on day of admission. Further, the occupational therapy will provide education to the patient on the use of the weighted blanket. Patients will be free to use the weighted blanket at their discretion, however, during meals, over the shoulders or head, and during ambulation, weighted blanket use will not be permitted.