Experiences of Patients and Caregivers in Virtual Group Workshops for the Treatment of Eating Disorders: A Qualitative Study

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions which frequently present as issues surrounding food, weight concerns, and negative body image.They require treatment from multiple disciplines. One available treatment is group therapy for patients and caregivers, which has been shown to offer benefits.During the pandemic, treatment approaches had to adapt. When restrictions were at their strictest, the Eating Disorders Unit of the UC Christus Health Network launched a programme of virtual group workshops to make treatment more accessible for patients.This study aimed to understand the participation of adolescent patients and their caregivers in these workshops. Both groups were interviewed about their experiences of the virtual format and group-based treatment, how it felt to share with others during the workshops and the influence of all this on their treatment.The results show that virtual group workshops can facilitate significant change. These changes are progressive, and social bonds with other participants, certain therapist interventions and specific characteristics of the virtual and group formats are key to facilitating them.From the patients’ perspective, these changes occur in several areas, including their emotions, relationships with family and others, self-perception, and aspects of their eating disorder symptoms.