Improving Access to Support for Eating Disorders
In 2021, we received feedback indicating that people wanted better access to support and resources after their initial assessment with eating disorder services.
Since then, we have been working to address this need, which resulted in us partnering with SilverCloud in Spring 2022. Since this partnership developed, we have been working to understand how their platform can best serve our needs.
SilverCloud is an innovative digital platform designed to provide accessible mental health support. It offers a range of interactive programs to help users manage their mental health and well-being.
The platform is user-friendly, making it easy for individuals to navigate and engage with the resources available.
- Accessibility: SilverCloud is available online, allowing users to access it from the comfort of their homes at any time.
- Interactive Programs: The platform offers a variety of programs that are engaging and tailored to support mental health.
- Evidence-Based: SilverCloud is grounded in research, ensuring that the tools and techniques provided are effective and reliable.
- User-Friendly: Designed with simplicity in mind, it's easy for anyone to use, regardless of their technological skills.
Our program is designed to empower individuals to confront and overcome their eating disorders. It provides the knowledge and skills necessary to reduce anxiety and, with ongoing effort, eliminate eating disorder behaviours and thoughts. After a comprehensive initial assessment, suitable individuals may be offered the SilverCloud program as a first-line treatment option.
Our program has several key objectives to support individuals in their recovery journey:
- Educate Individuals: Provide information about eating disorders and their associated risks, including how the illness personally impacts them, to motivate change.
- Support Understanding: Offer written materials to enhance understanding of eating disorders.
- Guide CBT-Informed Approaches: Explain and guide the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) strategies so individuals can challenge distorted perceptions and learn from personal experiences.
- Develop Coping Strategies: Help individuals plan and reflect on behavioural changes that support recovery.
- Challenge Body Image Distortion: Address and challenge distorted body image perceptions.
- Support Recovery: Overall, support the individual's recovery from an eating disorder.
We are fortunate to have two dedicated partners with lived experience join us in co-producing the program content. They shared insights from their own recovery to guide the development of content, carefully considered the impact of certain words and language, and offered suggestions within the CBT framework to make the program more effective and relatable.
We were also lucky enough to partner with The Delicate Mind who reviewed our content and supportED the development of culturally competent lived experience narratives. You can find more information about The Delicate Mind here.
In 2024 we were excited to be able to introduce phase one of SilverCloud as part of our outpatient treatment pathway as a pilot project across Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust Adult Eating Disorder Services.
We continue to work collaboratively with our lived experience partners to develop further modules exploring topics such as identity.