An interventional study of Imaginal exposure and Eating disorder journaling in Eating Disorders, sponsored by University of Louisville. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-06.
Sponsored by University of Louisville · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Current eating disorder (ED) treatment options are both inaccessible (80% of people with EDs do not access treatment) and not entirely successful (most people with an ED do not reach full remission). Imaginal exposure therapy, or what the investigators call Be Body Brave (BBB), is self-guided treatment that offers a solution to both of these issues: online modules reduce barriers to access treatment, and exposure therapy has the potential to shift cognitive beliefs in eating disorders, creating lasting change. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of BBB and identify the optimal timing for implementation of exposure therapy for eating disorders. Participants will complete five sessions of digital imaginal exposure and complete post-treatment, 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up questionnaires assessing eating disorder symptoms, quality of life, and clinical impairment.
645 studies on the registry are indexed under Feeding and Eating Disorders; 153 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 900 is above the median of 71 across 452 interventional studies indexed under Feeding and Eating Disorders.
Browse Feeding and Eating Disorders studies →University of Louisville is the lead sponsor of 291 studies on the registry; 54 are open to participants now.
Of its 19 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 7 (37%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Participants in the ED Journaling condition will receive five sessions of treatment, one week apart. They will be given general psychoeducation on eating disorders during the first session and will write about anything having to do with their ED during the remaining four sessions. Participants in the ED Journaling condition will also receive feedback and reminders between sessions.
Behavioral: Eating disorder journaling
Participants randomly assigned to BBB will receive 5 weeks of exclusively remote treatment addressing ED-related fears, one week apart, delivered via REDCap. They will be given psychoeducation on exposure therapy during the first session and will write about and imagine an ED fear during the remaining four sessions. Between sessions, participants receive feedback and notifications reminding them to complete the next session and encouraging them to continue facing their fear.
Behavioral: Imaginal exposure
Imaginal exposure related to eating disorders allows participants to be "exposed" to their eating disorder fear by imagining fear-based scenarios.
Generic journaling about eating disorders allows for a comparable condition to the imaginal exposure condition.
Eating disorder behaviors
Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire 6.0 (EDE-Q) will be used to measure change in eating disorder symptoms. The EDE-Q has a minimum global score of 0 and a maximum global score of 132. Higher scores indicate more severe eating pathology.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Fear of weight gain
Fear of weight gain will be assessed via the Fear of Food Measure, which assesses three cognitive-behavioral dimensions of fear of food: anxiety about food, avoidance behaviors, and fear of weight gain. The fear of weight gain has a minimum global score of 0 and a maximum global score of 2,900. Higher scores indicate worse fear of weight gain.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Body image disturbance (State Body Disturbances)
Body Disturbances will be collected via the Eating Disorder-15 (ED-15), which is a 15-item measure of eating disorder cognitions and behaviors, which will be collected at the beginning of each treatment session. The ED-15 includes ten questions that together have a minimum global score of 0 and a maximum global score of 60. There are also 5 items that are open-ended integer questions. Higher scores indicate worse body and eating disturbances.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Food avoidance
Avoidance will be measured with the Fear Approach and Avoidance Measure (FAAM), a measure that quantifies approach and avoidance behaviors related to food, body, and weight. The FAAM has a minimum global score of 0 and a maximum global score of 495. Higher scores indicate worse food avoidance.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Fear of food
The Fear of Food Measure (FOFM) assesses three cognitive-behavioral dimensions of fear of food: anxiety about food, avoidance behaviors, and fear of weight gain. It has strong factor, convergent, divergent, and construct validity. The FOFM includes 23 questions that have a minimum global score of 23 and a maximum global score of 161. There are also ten items that together have a minimum global score of 0 and a maximum global score of 1000. All together, the scale has a minimum global score of 23 and a maximum global score of 1,161. Higher scores indicate worse fear of food.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Eating disorder fears
The Eating Disorder Fear Inventory (EFI) assesses ED fears, such as fear of weight gain and associated consequences. It will be used to generate the "most feared" consequence of weight gain to focus on during exposure therapy. The EFI has a minimum global score of 28 and a maximum global score of 280. Higher scores indicate worse eating disorder fears.
Time frame: 6 weeks
BMI
BMI will be assessed by measuring weight and height via scale during assessments. BMI will be calculated using the formula kg/m\^2.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Barriers to Treatment Access
The Barriers to Treatment Access measure is a 15-item questionnaire assessing factors that may have hindered or prevented participants' access to eating disorder treatment due to financial, sociocultural, geographical, and identification barriers. The BTA is a qualitative measure, so there is no range of values or a "score."
Time frame: 6 weeks
Quality of Life Scale
Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) asks about various facets of life satisfaction. The QOLS is a valid instrument for measuring quality of life across groups and cultures. The QOLS has a minimum global score of 16 and a maximum global score of 112. Lower scores indicate worse quality of life.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Clinical Impairment Assessment
The Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA) assesses how eating habits, exercising, or feelings about eating, shape or weight have affected participant livelihood. The CIA is a reliable and valid global measure of psychosocial impairment secondary to ED symptoms. The CIA has a minimum global score of 0 and a maximum global score of 88. Higher scores indicate worse clinical impairment.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Weight suppression
Highest adult weight will be recorded to assess weight suppression (i.e., difference between highest weight since reaching adult height and current body weight), to partially account for medical, nutritional status, and the impact of weight loss and/or gain. Weight will be measured in pounds.
Time frame: 6 weeks
No study locations are listed for this record.
Plan to share: No
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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