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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05151900

Implementing Virtual Parent Support Groups for Eating Disorders Across Canada

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada has experienced a surge in new pediatric eating disorder cases and hospitalizations and long treatment waitlists, with parents experiencing anxiety due to a lack of support. As it has not been rigorously studied, there is an urgent need to understand and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, youth, and families living with eating disorders across Canada. The investigator's proposed research has two goals. First, the investigators plan to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic faced by this population throughout the country, as well as describe stakeholder views on virtual parent-led peer support groups. Given the increased burden faced by parents of children with eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic, the second goal is to study whether the national implementation of virtual parent-led peer support groups helps to mitigate the impact of the pandemic among affected parents. The investigators will use qualitative semi-structured interviews to gather an understanding of the impact of the pandemic on relevant stakeholders across the country. At the same time, the investigators will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the implementation of virtual parent-led peer support groups in several regions of Canada by examining parent and parent peer support provider experiences.

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Key information

Conditions

Eating Disorders COVID-19 Coronaviridae Infections Coronavirus Infections Feeding and Eating Disorders Infections Lung Diseases Mental Disorders Nidovirales Infections Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Pneumonia Pneumonia, Viral RNA Virus Infections Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Infections Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive Virus Diseases

Age range

12 year–100 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Have the capacity to write, speak and understand English
  • Have access to a computer and internet
  • Among parents enrolled in the virtual parent-led peer support groups, they must have a child or adolescent (<18 years of age) diagnosed with an eating disorder
  • Among youth and parents of youth with an eating disorder in the qualitative interviews component of the study, they/their child must either be on a waiting list for eating disorder treatment, actively in treatment, or post-treatment; the youth must be <18 years of age and the parent must have a child <18 years of age
  • Among clinician/administrators in the qualitative interviews component of the study, they must work within pediatric eating disorder programs or lifespan eating disorder programs.

Exclusion criteria

  • No lived or professional experience in the field of eating disorders
  • Don't have the capacity to write, speak and understand English
  • Don't have access to the internet/computer

Treatment and study plan

Support Group for Caregivers

Behavioral

Engage parents in the community via this support group, so they can be supported by other parents who "know the system", can advise them on how to proceed, and empower them to help their children. Parents will learn psychoeducation about eating disorders and how to support their children.

Primary outcomes

  1. Parent, youth, clinician, and administrator perspectives on and experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and children, youth, and families with eating disorders

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months later

    Perspectives and experiences qualitatively measured by semi-structured individual interviews with participants with lived experience or expertise in pediatric eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  2. Parent, youth, clinician, and administrator perspectives on virtual parent-led peer support groups to help mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19 on children, youth, and families with eating disorders across Canada

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months later

    Perspectives qualitatively measured by semi-structured individual interviews with participants with lived experience or expertise in pediatric eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  3. Parent, youth, clinician, and administrator perspectives on factors important for implementing and sustaining virtual parent-led peer support groups

    Time frame: Baseline to 6 months later

    Perspectives qualitatively measured by semi-structured individual interviews with participants with lived experience or expertise in pediatric eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in number of parents who remain in the support group (Retention Rate)

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months later

    The investigators will compare the number of parents who consent to participate in the support group and study to the number of parents who have completed the support group and study, 3 months later.

  2. Number of support groups each parent attends (Attendance Rate)

    Time frame: 3 months after baseline

    The investigators will take note of how many support groups (out of 6) each parent attends in a 3 month period.

  3. Change in self-reported parental burden

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months later

    Parental burden will be assessed using the Eating Disorders Symptom Impact Scale (EDSIS) - a 24 item measure examining the impact of symptoms on parents' lives. Minimum score is 0, maximum score is 96. A higher score indicates that the child's eating disorder symptoms are having a greater impact on their parent (more burdensome).

  4. Change in self-reported needs as a parent of a child with an eating disorder

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months later

    Parental needs will be assessed using the Carers Needs Assessment Measure (CaNAM), a 47-item questionnaire examining information received about eating disorders, support received from other people and organizations, support for self, and areas where help is needed. The minimum score is 0, the maximum score is 64. A higher score indicates that the carer has received sufficient information and support for themselves and their child.

  5. Change in self-reported parental self efficacy and collaboration

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months later

    Parental self-efficacy and collaboration will be assessed using the Patient and Carer Collaboration Scale -C (PACCS), a 33-item questionnaire examining constructs such as hope, self-care and compassion, externalization of the eating disorder, and boundaries. Each question is evaluated on a scale of 0 to 100, where higher values indicate positive collaboration with their child and higher parental self efficacy.

  6. Parent Peer Support Providers' Change in Readiness

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months later

    The Brief Individual Readiness to Change Scale will indicate how ready parent peer support providers feel they are to change. Higher scores indicate greater readiness to use research-based direct service techniques. Minimum score is 0, maximum score is 20.

  7. Parent Peer Support Providers' Change in Attitudes about Evidence Based Practice

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months later

    Their attitudes about evidence-based practice will be assessed using the Evidence Based Practice Attitudes Scale (EBPAS). The subscales include requirements, appeal, openness and divergence. The score for each subscale is created by computing a mean score for the items that load on a given subscale. Minimum score for each subscale is 0, maximum score for each subscale is 4.

  8. Parent Peer Support Providers' Change in Confidence related to the Intervention

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months later

    Their confidence related to the intervention will be assessed by administering an adapted version of the Perceived Attributes of the Principles of Effectiveness Scale (MPAS). Higher scores are indicative of more favorable perception for virtual parent led peer support group content. The minimum score is 18, the maximum score is 90.

  9. Parent Peer Support Providers' Self-Reported Fidelity to Peer Support

    Time frame: Baseline and 6 months later

    Parent peer support providers leading the virtual parent-led peer support groups will complete a self-reported measure related to rating their fidelity to peer support, outlining their adherence to peer support principles. The minimum score is 14, the maximum score is 70.

Other outcomes

  1. Parent participant experiences

    Time frame: After 3 months in groups

    Virtual parent-led peer support group experiences of parents participants, qualitatively measured by semi-structured individual interviews with parents after 3 months in virtual parent-led peer support groups.

  2. Parent Peer Support Provider experiences

    Time frame: After 6 months leading groups

    Virtual parent-led peer support group experiences of parent peer support providers, qualitatively measured by semi-structured focus group with virtual parent-led peer support groups and a focus group with parent peer support providers after 6 months of leading groups.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

McMaster University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Understanding and Mitigating the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children, Youth, and Families Living With an Eating Disorder: A National Implementation Study of a Virtual Parent-Led Peer Support Intervention

Acronym: vPLPSG

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Dec 9, 2021
Registry last updated
May 4, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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