NourishED Mind Research

Our team is testing a range of brief interventions that can start a whole journey of change for the way you relate to your body, your mind and yourself

Our aim is to help people build physical and psychological resilience rather than undermining it

We are evaluating nine different single session interventions (SSIs) on a smartphone application, taking 20 to 40 minutes to complete on one occasion. They are designed to decrease disordered eating, depression and anxiety in young people aged 14 to 25 years. Each SSI contains a ‘Learn’ section with psychoeducation and a ‘Do’ section containing interactive activities, informed by our users.

We are evaluating SSIs as an add-on to our therapy for people with eating disorders, to improve outcomes

Across our interventions we teach people about “functional nutrition” - increasing complex carbohydrate intake to support developing better mental health, more flexible thinking, and behavioural change even when habits are of a longstanding nature.

The Team

Based at Flinders University in South Australia, the research team is led by Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor Tracey Wade. The postdoctoral fellows in the team bring a wealth of clinical, research and implementation knowledge to the project:

An expert advisory group (EAG), consisting of 29 members (13 lived experience, 5 significant others, 5 clinicians, 6 researchers), has been established to provide a formal mechanism for lived experience experts, partner organisations and other research end-users to guide the project.

Our Single Session Interventions

As part of the NourishED Mind project, we have created nine single session interventions for people who have an eating disorder. These are best used as an addition to evidence-based therapy. Please feel free to look at and download these interventions.

Interventions

Action brings change - Improving low mood through action

Making meaningful connections - Improving social networks through taking action

Rewire your mind - Changing unhelpful thinking habits

Flip the script - Changing the way you see your body

The bigger picture - Learning to accept yourself and see your self-worth

Compassion over criticism - Learn to show yourself compassion instead of criticism

More than one piece - Expanding your self-worth

Anchor in the moment - Learning to tolerate distress during tough times

Progress over perfectionism - Letting go of perfectionism

Psychoeducation handouts

We are also developing 2-page psychoeducation handouts on key topics. Please feel free to use the ones listed here.

You may also find the following links useful – each leads you to evidence-based resources that you may find useful, either as a clinician or as someone who is experiencing an eating disorder, or who has a family member experiencing an eating disorder.