Effectiveness of a Low‐Intensity Self‐Guided Psychoeducational Intervention for Individuals Waitlisted for Specialised Eating‐Disorder Treatment: A Randomised Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: Gaining access to evidence-informed treatment for eating disorders (EDs) is challenging, and this creates interest in the possible benefits of self-help treatment methods. We investigated the effectiveness of receiving evidence-informed self-guided psychoeducation, delivered to individuals while on a waitlist for specialised ED care. METHOD: While waitlisted for treatment, 62 adults were randomised to one of two 4-week conditions: (a) Weekly psychoeducation related to EDs via email (Experimental condition); or (b) No psychoeducation (Control condition). Participants completed weekly measures of ED attitudes (ED-15), body satisfaction (Body Satisfaction Scale) and motivation to change (Readiness Ruler). RESULTS: Participants in the experimental condition showed a greater reduction in ED-15 scores after 4 weeks of exposure to the psychoeducational materials compared to control participants. Effect sizes were in the small-to-medium range, with the strongest effects observed among individuals who were engaging in binge/purge behaviours. There were no effects on body satisfaction or motivation to change. Participants reported being reasonably engaged and satisfied with the materials. CONCLUSIONS: Delivering low-intensity self-guided psychoeducation appears to be effective in reducing ED attitudes and preoccupations among people waitlisted for specialised ED services, especially those presenting with bulimic symptoms. However, the intervention seemed not to impact motivation for change. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered retroactively at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT07319936).