Preferred treatment focus among college students with eating disorders and comorbid mental health problems in a digital cognitive‐behavioral guided self‐help program

Objective To examine the mental health problems that college students with eating disorders (EDs) and comorbid depression and/or anxiety disorders preferred to target first in a digital treatment program and explore correlates of preferred treatment focus. Methods Four hundred and eighty nine colleg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The International journal of eating disorders 2023-12, Vol.56 (12), p.2349-2357
Main Authors: D'Adamo, Laura, Grammer, Anne Claire, Rackoff, Gavin N., Fitzsimmons‐Craft, Ellen E., Lipson, Sarah Ketchen, Newman, Michelle G., Taylor, C. Barr, Eisenberg, Daniel, Wilfley, Denise E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
anxiety
Anxiety disorders
Cognition
College students
Comorbidity
depression
Eating disorders
Feeding and Eating Disorders - complications
Feeding and Eating Disorders - epidemiology
Feeding and Eating Disorders - therapy
Female
Humans
Male
Mental depression
Mental Health
mental health treatment
Self help
Students - psychology
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Summary:Objective To examine the mental health problems that college students with eating disorders (EDs) and comorbid depression and/or anxiety disorders preferred to target first in a digital treatment program and explore correlates of preferred treatment focus. Methods Four hundred and eighty nine college student users of a digital cognitive‐behavioral guided self‐help program targeting common mental health problems (76.7% female, Mage = 20.4 ± 4.4, 64.8% White) screened positive for an ED and ≥one other clinical mental health problem (i.e., depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and/or panic disorder). Students also reported on insomnia, post‐traumatic stress, alcohol use, and suicide risk. Before treatment, they indicated the mental health problem that they preferred to target first in treatment. Preferred treatment focus was characterized by diagnostic profile (i.e., ED + Depression, ED + Anxiety, ED + Depression + Anxiety), symptom severity, and demographics. Results 58% of students with ED + Anxiety, 47% of those with ED + Depression, and 27% of those with ED + Depression + Anxiety chose to target EDs first. Across diagnostic profiles, those who chose to target EDs first had more severe ED symptoms than those who chose to target anxiety or depression (ps 
ISSN:0276-3478
1098-108X
DOI:10.1002/eat.24065