Do People Want the 'New Normal'? A Mixed Method Investigation of Young Person, Parent, and Clinician Experience and Preferences for Eating Disorder Treatment Delivery in the Post-COVID-19 World.

ABSTRACT

Eating disorder treatment was predominantly provided online during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has continued into the post-pandemic world. This mixed method study explored young person, parent/caregiver, and clinician experiences of child and adolescent eating disorder treatment. In total, 90 participants (25 young people, 49 parents/caregivers, and 16 clinicians) completed online surveys about the experience of online working. Data were compared to similar data collected by the same service earlier in the pandemic. The results show that preferences are largely unchanged since 2020; online treatment is considered helpful and acceptable by all groups. Nevertheless, face-to-face assessment sessions (young people 52.2%; and parents/caregivers 68.9%) and final sessions (young people 82.6%; and parents/caregivers 82.2%) were preferred compared to online. There was also a preference for early treatment sessions to either be always or mostly face-to-face (young people 65.2%; and parents/caregivers 73.3%). The middle and latter parts of treatment were a time when preferences shifted slightly to a more hybrid mode of delivery. Participants reported finding engagement with the therapist (young people 70.6%; and parents/caregivers 52.5%) easier during face-to-face treatment. Stepping away from the binary of online or face-to-face, the current data suggest that a hybrid and flexible model is a way forward with current findings providing insights into how to structure this.