The Efficacy of Health Realization/Innate Health Psycho-education For Individuals With Eating Disorders: Pilot Study

Abstract

Eating disorders are associated with high rates of mortality, disability, and poor motivation for change. Psychological therapies are the first line treatment, yet outcomes are poor, and drop- out rates high. Health Realization/Innate Health (HR/IH) psycho-education offers an alternative intervention which can be delivered in groups engaging participants’ innate capacity for well- being and resilience. Eight female participants with anorexia nervosa (mean age 27.75, SD 14.34) from the CONNECT Eating Disorders Service, United Kingdom attended and completed a 15 session HR/IH psycho-educational group facilitated by two HR/IH trained therapists in this pre-experimental, multiple single-case design pilot study. Standard general psychiatric and eating disorders clinical outcome measures were administered immediately before and after the group, and the quantitative data compared using SPSS. Qualitative feedback was gathered using a feedback questionnaire immediately after the group. Comparison of quantitative data indicated statistically significant improvement in participants’ weight (p=0.04), body mass index (BMI; p=0.04), and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ) global mean score (p=0.04). Clinically significant positive changes were also noted for Rosenberg’s Self- Esteem Scale (pre-mean=8.8; post-mean=11.9), Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE; pre-mean=1.6; post-mean=1.4), and Eating Disorders Quality of Life Scale (EDQLS; pre-mean=2.0; post-mean=1.4). High levels of participant and carer satisfaction and acceptability were also demonstrated. The HR/IH psycho-educational approach warrants further study as a brief intervention for adults with eating disorders.

Innate Health: A Novel Examination of What Explains Well-Being, Prosocial Behavior, and Aggression Among Men Living in a U.K. Prison

“…Empirical evidence across innate health-focused interventions found positive changes in levels of (a) stress, depression, and anxiety as well as enhanced well-being among female Somali refugees in the midwestern region of the United States (Robertson et al, 2019); (b) drug use, well-being, and commitment to sobriety among residents at a Northeastern, U.S. treatment facility ; and, (c) in well-being, resilience, and impulse control among adolescents living in London, England (Kelley et al, 2021). While there are several small and promising studies (Catherine-Gray et al, 2022;El-Mokadem et al, 2023;Felix et al, 2022;Rees-Evans & Pevalin, 2017), the first large-scale randomized controlled trial of an innate health intervention demonstrated significant improvements in communication, decision-making, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and resilience in children (Green et al, 2021a(Green et al, , 2021b.…”