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Introduction
Eating disorders (EDs) are common mental illnesses with serious consequences. Up to 10% of people will experience ED symptoms at some point in their lives. EDs are associated with high medical and psychiatric comorbidity, reduced quality of life, and elevated mortality. Despite this, less than 20% of people with an ED ever receive treatment, and when they do, it is more than likely not evidence-based—only 6-35% of specialist ED clinicians say they adhere to evidence-based protocols. This treatment gap disproportionally affects low-income individuals, those living in rural areas, and those from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. Delays in treatment are directly related to prolonged illness, more severe disease progression, poorer prognosis, and a higher likelihood of relapse. Technology can help by facilitating better linkage with care in screening and identification of EDs, and may offer treatment options that have greater accessibility, lower cost, and mitigate barriers such as stigma or feelings of shame in patients.
The event will be equivalent to 2hrs of CPD.
Content
This presentation will begin with contextualizing EDs—their prevalence, comorbidities, cost on self and society, dispelling myths, and how they are diagnosed and treated. Levels of care for EDs will be reviewed, ranging from outpatient to inpatient treatment depending on disease severity. Additionally, an overview of first-line treatments for EDs will be given, including family-based treatment (FBT), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). Recent research conducted by my team at Washington University in St. Louis and colleagues will then be presented, which focuses on digital tools, including mobile programs and chatbots, for identifying, preventing, and treating EDs to directly address the existing gaps in care, as well as harnessing technology for training providers. Additionally, we will review recent work related to the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in digital mental health. This rapidly growing area shows promise for expanding access to high-quality care. We will explore the potential roles of generative AI—for example, supporting clinician training, prevention, and treatment—while also addressing important challenges, such as risks of bias and misinformation. Providers attending will be encouraged to consider the role that technology could play in their practice.
Learning Objectives
• Understanding eating disorders: what causes them, their comorbidities, and impact on the individual and society
• Dispelling myths about eating disorders
• Learning how technology has been utilized in each stage of eating disorder identification and treatment, including: screening, linkage to care, prevention, intervention, and preventing relapse.
Training Modalities
Didactic, polls and Q&A.
Key References
Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Balantekin, K. N., Graham, A. K., Smolar, L., Park, D., Mysko, C., Funk, B., Taylor, C. B., & Wilfley, D. E. (2019). Results of disseminating an online screen for eating disorders across the U.S.: Reach, respondent characteristics, and unmet treatment need. The International journal of eating disorders, 52(6), 721–729. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23043
Haynos, A. F., Egbert, A. H., Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Levinson, C. A., & Schleider, J. L. (2024). Not niche: eating disorders as an example in the dangers of overspecialisation. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 224(3), 82–85. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2023.160
Graham, A. K., Trockel, M., Weisman, H., Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Balantekin, K. N., Wilfley, D. E., & Taylor, C. B. (2019). A screening tool for detecting eating disorder risk and diagnostic symptoms among college-age women. Journal of American college health, 67(4), 357–366. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2018.1483936
Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Rackoff, G. N., Shah, J., Strayhorn, J. C., D'Adamo, L., DePietro, B., Howe, C. P., Firebaugh, M. L., Newman, M. G., Collins, L. M., Taylor, C. B., & Wilfley, D. E. (2024). Effects of Chatbot Components to Facilitate Mental Health Services Use in Individuals With Eating Disorders Following Online Screening: An Optimization Randomized Controlled Trial. The International journal of eating disorders, 57(11), 2204–2216. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24260
Fitzsimmons‐Craft, E. E., Chan, W. W., Smith, A. C., Firebaugh, M. L., Fowler, L. A., Topooco, N., ... & Jacobson, N. C. (2022). Effectiveness of a chatbot for eating disorders prevention: A randomized clinical trial. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 55(3), 343-353. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23662
Kazdin, A. E., Fitzsimmons‐Craft, E. E., & Wilfley, D. E. (2017). Addressing critical gaps in the treatment of eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(3), 170-189. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22670
About the presenter
Dr. Ellen Fitzsimmons-Craft is an Associate Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences and Psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis. She also serves as Director of the mHealth Research Core of the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences and is a licensed psychologist. Dr. Fitzsimmons-Craft has established programmatic lines of research centering on the use of technology for eating disorder prevention and treatment, eating disorder screening, sociocultural etiological and maintenance factors for eating disorders, eating disorder recovery, and college mental health. Dr. Fitzsimmons-Craft is passionate about increasing access to scalable, evidence-based mental health services, collaborating with numerous industry partners, non-profit organizations, and statewide groups in the U.S. in order to do so. Ultimately her work aims to disseminate evidence-based interventions from research to practice as well as extend treatments in ways that will reach the large number of people in need of care for mental health problems but who are not receiving services.
Who should attend
This event is designed for clinicians interested in expanding their understanding of eating disorders, including their etiology, diagnosis, progression, and impact, while dispelling common myths. Current research and resources on harnessing technology to screen and treat eating disorders in adolescents and adults will be provided.