Plain Speaking Summary: Ellen Maloney interviews Emy Nimbley on a mixed method systematic review into the impact of ED treatment in Autistic people and those with high Autistic traits

At EDAC we are committed to making research accessible. Our Plain Speaking Summaries include plain language text on published papers and an interview with the authors. In this Plain Speaking Summary, Emy Nimbley introduced her paper that was published in 2024 and is interviewed by Ellen Maloney (she/they) EDAC peer researcher. Emy Nimbley is a postdoctoral research fellow at EDAC at the University of Edinburgh. 

Paper Synopsis

The full paper can be found here.

AIMS:

The review aimed to bring together research looking at treatment outcomes (measurable quantitative data) and treatment experiences (subjective qualitative experiences) for Autistic people with an eating disorder (ED). It aimed to provide an overview of these outcomes and experiences across a range of categories, including ED symptoms, service use and broader recovery factors, such as emotions. Another aim that emerged during the process of the review was to understand whether the same outcomes and experiences were reported by those with a self or formal diagnosis of autism compared to individuals with Autistic traits.

METHOD:

Following a search and screening of possible studies, 17 studies were included in the review.

KEY FINDINGS:

Autistic and non-Autistic people report similar improvements in BMI and eating disorder symptoms after ED treatment, although it should be noted that measures of ED symptoms were developed for neurotypical presentations. Encouragingly, both groups saw similar improvements with emotion-focused interventions, and Autistic people felt that these interventions were more relevant to their experiences as opposed to cognitive- (e.g., CBT, CRT) or group-based therapies. However, compared to non-Autistic people, Autistic people had more frequent and longer admissions, have poorer experiences of ED services and treatments, and have increased rates of mental health difficulties both before and after receiving ED treatment. Similar outcomes and experiences were reported in both Autistic and higher Autistic trait samples.

IMPACT:

By understanding ED treatment outcomes and experiences for Autistic people, we can begin to conduct more meaningful and relevant research, as well as inform changes to treatment within ED services. For example, the review suggests that adaptations to ED treatment may be required for Autistic people. By increasing our understanding of EDs in Autistic people and making changes to ED treatments and service provision, we can hope to influence autism-informed ED care and improve outcomes for Autistic people.