EDIFY: Eating disorders: delineating illness and recovery trajectories to inform personalised prevention and early intervention in young people

This project will see researchers work directly with young people with eating disorders to develop an interdisciplinary, evidence-based model of how these conditions develop and how young people recover.

Eating disorders are common and affect people of all genders, backgrounds and identities, with devastating impacts on young people’s lives.

This new research will explore the diverse experiences of people with eating disorders, characterising the different pathways into these conditions, as well as distinct stages of illness: at-risk, early stage, late stage.This is so that intervention can be personalised at each stage.

Lived experiences of young people with eating disorders will be at the heart of the project, with creative methods, such as theatre and comedy, being used to increase understanding amongst the public and professionals.

It is hoped this novel approach will transform the way eating disorders are understood and treated by challenging stereotypes and providing a ‘map’ for clinicians to tailor treatments to a young person’s individual circumstances.