A study protocol for implementing Canadian Practice Guidelines for Treating Children and Adolescents with Eating Disorders.

Background: Eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates among psychiatric illnesses. Timely intervention is crucial for effective treatment, as eating disorders tend to be chronic and difficult to manage if left untreated. Clinical practice guidelines play a vital role in improving healthcare delivery, aiming to minimize variations in care and bridge the gap between research and practice.

Testing the effectiveness of a sexual assault resistance programme in 'real-world' implementation.

In a multi-site randomized controlled trial (RCT), the EAAA programme designed for first year university women (17-24 years old) was shown to reduce the likelihood of any (attempted and completed) rape in the next year by 50% (Senn, C. Y., Eliasziw, M.

Pathways from adolescent screen time to eating related symptoms: a multilevel longitudinal mediation analysis through self-esteem.

Objective: Screen time and self-esteem have been shown to be important correlates of eating disorders in adolescence. However, there is an absence of longitudinal studies that distinguish between time-varying factors, accounting for parallel developmental changes and common underlying vulnerability.

Design: A total of 3,801 adolescents were administered self-report measures, annually, over the course of 5 years.

Multidisciplinary implementation of family-based treatment delivered by videoconferencing (FBT-V) for adolescent anorexia nervosa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Family-Based Treatment (FBT)-the most widely supported treatment for pediatric eating disorders-transitioned to virtual delivery in many programs due to COVID-19. Using a blended implementation approach, we systematically examined therapist adherence to key components of FBT and fidelity to FBT by videoconferencing (FBT-V), preliminary patient outcomes, and team experiences with our FBT-V implementation approach as well as familial perceptions of FBT-V effectiveness. We examined our implementation approach across four pediatric eating disorder programs in Ontario, Canada, using mixed methods.

A qualitative evaluation of team and family perceptions of family-based treatment delivered by videoconferencing (FBT-V) for adolescent Anorexia Nervosa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, outpatient eating disorder care, including Family-Based Treatment (FBT), rapidly transitioned from in-person to virtual delivery in many programs. This paper reports on the experiences of teams and families with FBT delivered by videoconferencing (FBT-V) who were part of a larger implementation study.

Methods: Four pediatric eating disorder programs in Ontario, Canada, including their therapists (n = 8), medical practitioners (n = 4), administrators (n = 6), and families (n = 5), participated in our study.

Virtual prevention of eating disorders in children, adolescents, and emerging adults: a scoping review.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a necessity for eating disorder (ED) outpatient treatment to be delivered virtually. Given this transition, and the surge in new ED cases, there was an urgent need to investigate virtually delivered ED prevention programs. This review aimed to identify the available evidence on virtual ED prevention programs for children, adolescents, and emerging adults.

Help-seeking attitudes and behaviours among youth with eating disorders: a scoping review.

Background: Although early intervention is crucial in interrupting the development of eating disorders, little is currently known about help-seeking behaviours among individuals experiencing eating disorder symptoms. Given that eating disorders typically begin early in life, it is necessary to investigate the processes employed by children, adolescents, and emerging adults when seeking services for troubling symptoms. This is a growing concern as the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in the number of individuals engaging in disordered eating behaviours.

An Evaluation of Strategies Used to Maximize Intervention Fidelity in a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Sexual Assault Resistance Program for University Women.

In this paper, we describe and evaluate the strategies used to maximize intervention fidelity in a randomized controlled trial to examine the efficacy of a sexual assault resistance intervention. The EAAA program was based on the best available theory and evidence on how women can successfully resist sexual coercion from male acquaintances. Extensive protocols for hiring, training, and supervising facilitators were established a priori.

The COVID-19 pandemic and eating disorders in children, adolescents, and emerging adults: virtual care recommendations from the Canadian consensus panel during COVID-19 and beyond.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had detrimental effects on mental health. Literature on the impact on individuals with eating disorders is slowly emerging. While outpatient eating disorder services in Canada have attempted to transition to virtual care, guidelines related to optimal virtual care in this field are lacking.

Adapting and adopting highly specialized pediatric eating disorder treatment to virtual care: a protocol for an implementation study in the COVID-19 context.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted individuals with eating disorders; resulting in increased symptoms, as well as feelings of isolation and anxiety. To conform with social distancing requirements, outpatient eating disorder treatment in Canada is being delivered virtually, but a lack of direction surrounding this change creates challenges for practitioners, patients, and families. As a result, there is an urgent need to not only adapt evidence-based care, including family-based treatment (FBT), to virtual formats, but to study its implementation in eating disorder programs.

Assessing fidelity to family-based treatment: an exploratory examination of expert, therapist, parent, and peer ratings.

Introduction: Fidelity is an essential component for evaluating the clinical and implementation outcomes related to delivery of evidence-based practices (EBPs). Effective measurement of fidelity requires clinical buy-in, and as such, requires a process that is not burdensome for clinicians and managers. As part of a larger implementation study, we examined fidelity to Family-Based Treatment (FBT) measured by several different raters including an expert, a peer, therapists themselves, and parents, with a goal of determining a pragmatic, reliable and efficient method to capture treatment fidelity to FBT.

Canadian practice guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with eating disorders.

Objectives: Eating disorders are common and serious conditions affecting up to 4% of the population. The mortality rate is high. Despite the seriousness and prevalence of eating disorders in children and adolescents, no Canadian practice guidelines exist to facilitate treatment decisions.

Cocreating research priorities for anorexia nervosa: The Canadian Eating Disorder Priority Setting Partnership.

Objective: The Canadian Eating Disorder Priority Setting Partnership was established to identify and prioritize the top 10 research priorities for females, 15 years or older, with anorexia nervosa, by incorporating equal input from those with lived experience, families, and healthcare professionals.

Method: This project, which closely followed the James Lind Alliance guidelines, solicited research priorities from the Canadian eating disorder community by means of a five-step process including use of a survey, response collation, literature checking, interim ranking survey, and in-person prioritization workshop.

Results: The initial survey elicited 897 priorities from 147 individuals, with almost equal representation from all three stakeholder groups.

Family-based treatment for children and adolescents with eating disorders: a mixed-methods evaluation of a blended evidence-based implementation approach.

In this study, we evaluated a blended implementation approach with teams learning to provide family-based treatment (FBT) to adolescents with eating disorders. Four sites participated in a sequential mixed method pre-post study to evaluate the implementation of FBT in their clinical settings. The implementation approach included: (a) preparatory site visits; (b) the establishment of implementation teams; (c) a training workshop; (d) monthly clinical consultation; (e) monthly implementation consultation; and (f) fidelity assessment.

Themes arising during implementation consultation with teams applying family-based treatment: a qualitative study.

Background: This study describes themes arising during implementation consultation with teams providing Family-Based Treatment (FBT) to adolescents with eating disorders.

Methods: Participants were implementation teams (one lead therapist, one medical practitioner and one administrator) at four sites. These teams agreed to support the implementation of FBT, and participated in monthly consultation calls which were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded for themes.

Comprehension and Use of Nutrition Facts Tables among Adolescents and Young Adults in Canada.

Purpose: Limited evidence exists on the comprehension and use of Nutrition Facts tables (NFt) among adolescents and young adults. This study provides an account of how young people engage with, understand, and apply nutrition information on the current and modified versions of the NFt to compare and choose foods.

Methods: Participants aged 16-24 years (n = 26) were asked to "think aloud" while viewing either the current or 1 of 5 modified NFts and completing a behavioural task.

Implementing highly specialized and evidence-based pediatric eating disorder treatment: protocol for a mixed methods evaluation.

Background: Eating disorders, which include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are common in adolescent females and can have serious emotional and physical consequences, including death. Despite our knowledge about the severity of these illnesses, previous research indicates that adolescent patients are not receiving the best available treatment with fidelity. The main goal of this project is to reduce the knowledge gap between what research indicates is the best known treatment and what is actually delivered in clinical practice.

Family-based treatment with transition age youth with anorexia nervosa: a qualitative summary of application in clinical practice.

Background: Family based treatment (FBT) has been empirically investigated in adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 years of age. Although parental control over eating symptoms and the weight gain process are temporary and necessary due to serious medical complications, FBT may be developmentally inappropriate when working with older adolescents. To date, there are no studies identifying how the principles of this model are used differentially across different stages of adolescence.

Using a knowledge transfer framework to identify factors facilitating implementation of family-based treatment.

Objective: To conduct a qualitative study to identify factors that would facilitate the transfer of the research evidence on Family-Based Treatment (FBT) into clinical practice.

Method: Fundamental qualitative description guided sampling, data collection, and analytic decisions for this study. Forty therapists who treat children and adolescents under the age of 18 with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and belong to Ontario's provincial network of specialized eating disorder services completed an in-depth interview focusing on elements proposed by the Lavis knowledge transfer framework.

Decision-making processes for the uptake and implementation of family-based therapy by eating disorder treatment teams: a qualitative study.

Objective: To explore the decision-making processes involved in the uptake and implementation of evidence-based treatments (EBTs), namely, family-based treatment (FBT), among therapists and their administrators within publically funded eating disorder treatment programs in Ontario, Canada.

Method: Fundamental qualitative description guided sampling, data collection, and analytic decisions. Forty therapists and 11 administrators belonging to a network of clinicians treating eating disorders completed an in-depth interview regarding the decision-making processes involved in EBT uptake and implementation within their organizations.

Integrating weight bias awareness and mental health promotion into obesity prevention delivery: a public health pilot study.

Introduction: Promoting healthy weight is a top priority in Canada. Recent federal guidelines call for sustained, multisectoral partnerships that address childhood obesity on multiple levels. Current healthy weight messaging does not fully acknowledge the influence of social determinants of health on weight.

Trading health for a healthy weight: the uncharted side of healthy weights initiatives.

Healthy eating and weight initiatives have been incorporated into many schools to combat the growing obesity problem. There is little research, however, on the effectiveness of these programs or any inadvertent harmful effects on children's mental health. Our aims were to report on how school-based healthy weights initiatives can trigger the adoption of unhealthy behaviours for some children.

Understanding the uptake of family-based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: therapist perspectives.

Objective: To explore and describe therapists' perceptions of the factors affecting their uptake of family-based treatment (FBT) for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN).

Method: Fundamental qualitative description guided the sampling and data collection in this study. A purposeful sample of 40 therapists providing treatment to youth with AN, completed an in-depth interview.