Investigating turning points and facilitating eating disorder recovery

Abstract

Section A:
Literature states that a “turning point” (TP) may be significant in eating disorder recovery. The review elucidated how TPs are defined, how they lead to recovery and to explore whose recovery narratives are included or excluded. Nineteen studies were reviewed, quality assessed and synthesised thematically. TPs were defined in a plethora of ways. The process by which TPs led to recovery was explored. It was found that literature on TPs under-reports demographics resulting in uncertainty on the degree of homogeneity in recovery narratives.The author argued that understanding recovery outside of the TP narrative may aid understandings of recovery

Section B:
Many people with Anorexia Nervosa experience ambivalence towards recovery. Chairwork is a psychotherapeutic technique incorporating the position, dialogue, and movement between
‘self parts’ placed in different chairs to elicit change. The ‘future selves’ chairwork intervention (FSCI), aims to increase motivation by role-playing, dialoguing, and interacting with a future ‘non-recovered self’ and ‘recovered self’, utilising movement between chairs. Nine people living with Anorexia were interviewed, and an interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted, to explore acceptability and change processes. Changes in motivation were facilitated through emotional experiencing and embodiment when enacting ‘future selves’. Participants described an evocative response, which led to realisations and new u nderstanding.

Date of Award	2023
Original language	English