CURRENT PROJECTS
Promoting Resilience to Improve Disordered Eating (PRIDE) Treatment
Categories: LGBTQ, Treatment
PRIDE is a novel, virtually-delivered eating disorder treatment that integrates LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy and CBT for eating disorders. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Aaron Blashill and the BISH Lab at SDSU. We have tested the program in a case series of n = 14 patients with eating disorders and we have an upcoming grant to test the target engagement and efficacy of the treatment in a larger sample. This grant will also work with a participatory planning board to ensure community feedback throughout the study process.
The Body Project: More than Muscles
Categories: Gender, Prevention
The Body Project More than Muscles (MTM) is a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program for men regardless of sexual orientation. We previously evaluated this program compared to an assessment-only control and now, with funding from the Arlene and Michael Rosen Foundation, are comparing the program to an attention-matched control. We have also replicated these results in Brazilian men (with colleagues Mauricio Almeida & Pedro Henrique Berbert de Carvalho).
Evaluating Body Image Programs for LGBTQ+ Individuals in Rural Areas
Categories: LGBTQ+, Prevention
We are developing two online programs focused on promoting body neutrality for LGBTQ+ youth and adults in rural regions of the country. We are also working to test a program (Proud to Be Me) we developed in collaboration with the Dove Self Esteem Project, Anna Ciao & the Eating & Body Image Lab at Western Washington University, & Canvas Arts Action Program. All of these programs heavily rely on active community partnerships and advisory boards locally. Collaborators on this work include Anna Ciao and Savannah Roberts.
COMPLETED PROJECTS
Examining Psychosocial Factors Related to Health Behaviors in LGBTQ+ Individuals
Categories: LGBTQ+
We have several active data collection efforts via Prolific that explore minority and intersectional stressors and eating pathology in diverse samples of LGBTQ+ individuals at baseline, and up to 1-month, 3-month, and/or 6-month follow-up.
The PRIDE Body Project
Categories: LGBTQ+, Prevention
The PRIDE Body Project (PBP) is a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program for sexual minority men. We previously published results from a pilot RCT comparing PBP to assessment only control. We are currently wrapping up a trial of this program compared to active control in an RCT in collaboration with the Body Image, Sexuality, & Health Lab at SDSU (R01 funded by NIMHD)
Exploring Exercise, Muscularity, & Eating Behaviors
Categories: Exercise, Assessment
This study is a collaboration with Jennifer Harriger (Pepperdine) and Sasha Gorrell (UC San Francisco) and explores exercise behaviors in a sample of college students and athletes, with a particular focus on constructs related to muscularity-oriented eating concerns, and interoception.
Understanding Interoception & Eating
Categories: Interoception, Assessment
We have several studies validating self-report measures of interoceptive awareness (IA) - or our awareness of our internal body states (e.g., fullness/hunger, thirst, pain). We have focused on identifying and evaluating appropriate assessments to help better characterize how IA is related to eating disorder and body image symptoms. This includes data and published work on the following assessments.
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Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA)
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Esophageal Hypervigilance and Anxiety Scale (EHAS)
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Body Trust Scale (BTS) - developed w/ the REDS and EAT labs