Online Compassion Focused Therapy for overeating: Feasibility and acceptability pilot study

Objective: This pilot study aims to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of online Compassion Focused Therapy for overeating (CFT-OE).

Method: Eighteen Portuguese women seeking treatment for overeating were enrolled in this study, and 15 participants completed the CFT-OE. This was a single-arm study. Participants were assessed at pre- and post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. All participants completed measures assessing binge eating, cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, general eating psychopathology, general and body shame, self-criticism, self-compassion, and fears of self-compassion.

Results: The treatment attrition rate was 16.7%, which is relatively low compared to other similar online interventions. Participants gave positive feedback on the program and indicated they would recommend it to people with similar difficulties. CFT-OE improved self-compassion and reduced eating psychopathology symptoms, general and body shame, self-criticism, and fears of self-compassion. Clinical significance analysis showed that the majority of participants were classified as in recovery in all measures at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up.

Discussion: Preliminary results suggest that the online CFT-OE program is an acceptable and feasible intervention. Results also suggest that CFT-OE is beneficial for the treatment of women with difficulties with overeating. A future randomized controlled trial is necessary to establish the effectiveness of the CFT-OE.

Public significance: This study indicates that online CFT-OE is a feasible and adequate intervention for women who struggle with overeating. This therapy showed promising results in reducing eating disorder symptoms, shame, and self-criticism and improving self-compassion. As an online intervention, CFT-OE may be more accessible and offer an alternative to in-person therapy.