Efficacy of a Positive Psychological Intervention in Patients With Eating Disorders
Condition: Eating Disorder; Daily Activities
MeSH terms: Feeding and Eating Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study is aimed to test the efficacy of a positive psychological intervention for
      promoting positive emotions and optimistic thinking in eating disordered patients.
      Participants are randomly assigned to receive the positive intervention or the control
      condition, which consists on thinking about daily activities.
    

Detailed description: 
      Eating disorders (ED) are very difficult conditions to treat. Therefore, interventions in
      this field are shifting their main target towards the disorder's impact in quality of life,
      rather than ED symptomatology in itself. In this sense, a focus in the promotion of positive
      emotions and well-being is emerging in order to buffer from the harmful effects caused by ED.

      Positive psychological interventions have shown efficacy in the promotion of positive
      emotions and well-being. In this sense, one of these interventions is called Best Possible
      Self (BPS), since is aimed to enhance positive emotions and well-being. Specifically, BPS is
      a positive future thinking technique, which requires people to envision themselves in the
      future, after everything has gone as good as it possibly could. This exercise has shown
      efficacy improving optimism, future expectancies and positive affect compared to a control
      condition, in general population and depressive patients.

      Furthermore, the progress of Information and Communication Technologies, has allowed the
      development of technology applications and devices that could enhance the quality of
      experience and the well-being levels. This approach is called Positive Technology and it can
      be used as a complement to positive psychological interventions. Positive Technology can be
      defined as the scientific and applied approach to improve the quality of our personal
      experience trying to increase wellness and generate strengths.

      Taking into account the prior literature, the aim of the present study is to carry out a
      randomized controlled study with ED patients in order to explore if BPS is able to produce
      improvements in different well-being and clinical measures. The exercise will be applied
      through a Positive Technology system. The design employed in this study is similar to the
      used in other studies.

      Five assessment moments were used: Before the exercise (baseline), after the first session
      (day 1) and post-training (1 month). Moreover, two follow-ups were included: one month after
      finishing the training period (1st follow-up) and three months after finishing the training
      (2nd follow-up)
    

Intervention name(s): Best Possible Self; Daily Activities
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Intervention group which requires people to envision themselves in a future in which all has gone in the best possible way.; Control group which consists of thinking and writing about all the activities and situations that had taken place during the last 24 h.
Other intervention name(s): Positive Psychological Intervention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Best Possible Self