Supporting Individuals on Eating Disorder Waitlists Through App-Based Motivational Interviewing: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Program-Led Pilot Intervention.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Individuals with eating disorders (EDs) often face long wait times before receiving formal treatment, which can exacerbate distress and undermine motivation for recovery. Despite this risk, few structured interventions are available to support individuals during the pretreatment period. This qualitative study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived utility of motivational interviewing (MI)-Coach: ED, a structured and focused program-led mobile app intervention grounded in MI, designed to support individuals with EDs while waitlisted for treatment.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two interest-holder groups: individuals with lived ED experience (n = 14) who completed a 4-week pilot study and clinicians (n = 5) in ED treatment set

SUBMITTER: Halicki-Asakawa A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12773687 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature