Related websites

Some websites of interest in the world of Eating Disorders

You can view the English language version of the Netzwerk Essstörungen / Austrian Network ED. It can be found at www.netzwerk-essstoerungen.at Details regarding their next conference can also be seen at this website.

Remember, all the details from our last ECED 2005 General Meeting in Innsbruck, organised by Guenther Rathner, can still be accessed at: www.eced-innsbruck2005.at . The abstracts book can be seen including the list of all previous ECED debates.

The homepage of the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Essstörungen (ÖGES) / Austrian Society on Eating Disorders (ASED) has been launched and you can visit it at www.uibk.ac.at./oeges .

Check out this very informative website (managed by Lucy Serpell) that will act as your clearing house for resources on eating disorders. It's aimed at professionals, sufferers and carers and is to be found at: www.edr.org.uk It aims to include the latest research findings in the field as well as acting as a forum for discussion.

The analysis of the use of a free online consulting service for eating disorders at the German "Information and Consulting Server for Eating Disorders" (http://www.ab-server.de) revealed that there exists a considerable demand for advice and information. The anonymity of the Internet supports those persons affected with an eating disorder, who turn to qualified personnel in the sense of a first contact. The online consulting service was predominantly used by persons suffering from bulimia nervosa, their families, and friends. The most frequent questions were asked by affected persons, their families, and friends about behavior patterns in dealing with the illness. They were followed by inquiries seeking for help in finding specialized clinics/therapists and places in therapies. The frequent use of the online consulting service illustrates that respective offers are indispensable components not only of the information structure but also of the supply network. To increase the efficiency of the existing online consulting service it is necessary to realize the service in a consulting network with competent partners (specialized clinics, organizations, self-help groups). Furthermore, a service for procurement of available places in therapies for patients with eating disorders will... (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2003 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)

Bodywhys is a national support organisation established in 1995, which offers help, support, understanding and information to people with eating disorders, their families and friends. Bodywhys also works with health and education professionals to heighten awareness of eating disorders and related issues. Up and running for 9 months, bodywhysConnect has been a “lifeline” for many people with eating disorders. This new form of support group, based on chat-room technology, allows participants to login anonymously when a meeting is being held and “chat” about issues related to eating disorders with others who are going, or have gone through similar experiences. Sessions are facilitated by trained Bodywhys volunteers and like traditional face to face support groups, meeting are held weekly at designated times. This forms the basis of why bodywhysConnect is so different from other chat rooms.

With a recent survey showing that about half of all Irish households have access to the Internet, systems like these can be an efficient, cost effective means of service delivery. This kind of service can reach people who are physically isolated, people with physical disabilities or other mobility issues, or people who are frightened of seeking more traditional face to face support because of anxiety or stigmatisation. There is also the suggestion that people may find it easier to share their innermost feelings with a computer screen in their own living room rather than a real person. This is especially true for people with eating disorders for whom physical comparisons with other participants in face-to-face support are a common hurdle.

Internet-based support and therapy is not a new idea and what little research has been conducted to date has overall yielded positive outcomes. A recent study showed that Internet-mediated therapy was clinically effective for the treatment of post traumatic stress (Lange, Jean-Pierre van de Ven, Schrieken & Emmelkamp, 2000). Use of a computer-assisted health education program (CAHE) reduced risk factors such as weight and shape concerns, and body dissatisfaction for eating disorders (Winzelberg, Eppstein, Eldredge, Wilfey, Dasmahapatra, Taylor & Dev, 2000). A study of effectiveness of an electronic support group containing a core element like bodywhysConnect showed significant improvement in post traumatic growth, and reduced depression and reactions to pain in patients with breast cancer (Lieberman, Golant, Giese-Davis, Winzelberg, Benjamin, Humphreys, Kronenwetter, Russo & Spiegel, In press). Lieberman et. al. also reported a positive outcome on the part of clinicians who originally had reservations about using the technology, which is good news for professionals worried about transferring skills acquired in face to face situations.

So what kind of response has bodywhysConnect had in its first 9 months? “We’ve had more men register than current statistics would suggest is proportionate in the population of people with eating disorders” says Alison Darcy who designed and developed the system, and is studying bodywhysConnect as the subject of an Mlitt with the Department of Psychology, UCD. “Also, the majority of registered users are over 25 years of age. The reasons for this may be due to the fact that there are a lot of people with eating disorders who have lived with the condition for a number of years and are only now considering getting help. We hope that bodywhysConnect may prove a gentler step forward in the direction of recovery for those people.” Anyone interested in finding out more can contact Alison at: adarcy@bodywhys.ie Alison can also supply a full list of the references quoted in this article.

EATING DISORDERS ARENA
http://www.eatingdisordersarena.com
The Eating Disorders Arena brings together a range of resources for anyone with an interest in eating disorders. You will find information on the latest book titles from Brunner-Routledge, details of topical journals, and also web resources on associations, upcoming conferences, and support groups in the field.

Check out this new website from Sweden! Karin Dahlgren is the information editor and webmaster in the National resource centre for eating disorders in Sweden. The Swedish name is Nationellt kunskpascentrum för ätstörningar, NÄT. The address is www.nat.se

Do check out the Academy of Eating Disorders website. It has all the information you will need to see what is happening in the field of eating disorders in the USA and beyond: http://www.aedweb.org

European Eating

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