An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experiences of eating disorders (EDs) and eating disorders treatments in women with co-occurring mental health conditions and/or Neurodivergent profiles.
Odile Mc Carthy is a Master’s student at London South Bank University studying MSc Mental Health and Clinical Psychology. As part of her Master’s programme, Odile is conducting a research dissertation on eating disorders and co-occurring mental health difficulties and/or neurodivergent profiles. Odile’s intends to investigate the lived experiences of women who experienced an eating disorder on top of co-occurring mental health difficulties and/or who have a neurodivergent profile and their experiences with treatment.
You can participate in this study if you have experienced an eating disorder in the past. Additionally, you have been diagnosed with a co-occurring mental health condition and/or neurodivergent profile which you experienced at the same time as your eating disorder. If you have not recovered from your eating disorder for at least one full year, are not eighteen, have not had treatment for your eating disorder, or did not have a co-occurring mental health condition and/or neurodivergent profile during your eating disorder, please do not take part in this study.
Participation in this study is entirely voluntary. If you decide to take part, you will be asked to sign a consent form. If the interview takes place online you will have online access to the consent form presented at the end of the information sheet. If the interview takes place face-to-face you will be given the information sheet for you to keep and will be asked to sign a consent form on the day of the interview. If you decide to take part in this study you may withdraw your data from the study without negative consequences and without giving a reason up to the 11th of August 2025
The interview will last between one hour to one hour thirty minutes either online or face-to-face on the topic of your lived experience with an eating disorder and your lived experience of having received treatment for your eating disorder. The interview has four parts: introduction; lived experience of ED; lived experience of treatment for ED; and your interpretations of those experiences. You will have access to the list of questions prior to the interview so that you can decide whether you are comfortable answering these questions and whether you still want to take part in the study.
For further information, you can view the participant information sheet here.
If you want to take part in the study or require further information please contact Odile McCarthy at: mccarto3@lsbu.ac.uk.
