ABSTRACT Objective There is a great need for the development of scalable augmentations to treatments for anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), as most individuals with AN/BN are currently not able to access treatment. Mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) may be promising for AN/BN and lend themselves well to digital delivery, increasing access. We aimed to develop and test the initial acceptability and feasibility of Mindful Courage, a digital MBI for AN/BN and atypical AN/BN. Method We evaluated an 8‐week version of Mindful Courage including 32 modules (8 core multi‐media lessons, 24 brief audio‐guided mindfulness practices) in N = 32 participants, who also received weekly phone coaching conducted by psychology students. Ten participants (31.2%) were enrolled in outpatient ED treatment while receiving the intervention. Participants completed assessments at baseline, post‐intervention (8 weeks), and 2‐month post‐intervention follow‐up. Results Acceptability was demonstrated by relatively high ratings for perceived usability (81.34/100), understandability (4.6/5.0), engageability (4.1/5.0), visual appeal (4.1/5.0), helpfulness (4.2/5.0), skills acquisition (4.3/5.0), and confidence applying skills (4.2/5.0). Feasibility was demonstrated by high module completion (an average of 28/32 modules). There were significant reductions in target outcomes: ED symptoms ( d = 1.21), body dissatisfaction ( d = 0.73), depression ( d = 0.76), anxiety ( d = 0.62), and clinical impairment ( d = 1.15). In addition, there were significant improvements in target mechanisms: mindfulness ( d = 0.79), emotion regulation difficulties (d = 0.65 ), and savoring beliefs ( d = 0.58). Discussion Mindful Courage is a viable and potentially effective intervention. A future randomized‐controlled trial is warranted.
Sala et al. (Thu,) studied this question.