Participant Characteristics
Two patients with a diagnosed eating disorder (participant 1 with
anorexia nervosa and participant 2 with atypical anorexia) participated
in the beta trial. Patients were recruited by Equip providers through
postings made on social media-based professional networking groups and
listservs. Assessments were performed by a licensed doctoral level
psychologist. Inclusion criteria required that the patient live at home
with carers, that carers were willing and able to engage fully in
treatment (including attending family therapy, dietary sessions, family
mentor sessions, and carer skills groups) and that carers had the
ability to supervise eating, if needed. Patients were excluded from
participation if they were medically unstable or struggled with any of
the following: actively suicidality or past suicide attempts, borderline
personality disorder or other personality disorder, significant
substance above or significant current non-suicidal self injury.
Patients were also excluded if carers had an active eating disorder, a
significant personality disorder, engaged in neglectful or abusive
behavior toward the patient, or were unwilling/unable to prioritize the
patient’s needs. This trial met criteria for ‘chart review’, and thus
Equip received approval for exemption status from Western Institutional
Review Board.