JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

There is a need for new, accessible and effective treatments for eating disorders, including those that address the social impairment many people with eating disorders experience, and previous research has identified that returning to social eating is an important aspect of eating disorder recovery. Virtual Reality (VR) offers opportunities to improve the accessibility of mental health treatments, and there is evidence that VR may be beneficial in the context of eating disorders. Using the Person-based Approach, we have co-developed a VR café intervention, where people with eating disorders can practice challenges related to social eating.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to find out whether it is feasible to recruit, retain and follow-up people with eating disorders to receive the intervention in an NHS clinical setting, in addition to their usual treatment.

Methods:

This study is a mixed-methods single arm feasibility study, with a 3-month follow-up assessment. Thirty participants aged 14-25 who are currently accessing treatment for an eating disorder across two participating NHS trusts will receive up to 6 clinician-supported sessions using the VR café intervention over a period of 6-8 weeks, in addition to their usual treatment. We will measure feasibility outcomes, participant-centred outcomes, VR engagement including eye-tracking data, and participant service use data. A nested qualitative study will be conducted to gain additional insight into the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.

Results:

Participants are currently being recruited to take part in the study. The last date of possible enrolment will be 29th May 2027.

Conclusions:

Our co-developed VR café intervention is designed to act as a stepping stone to engaging in social eating situations in the real world, by enabling people with eating disorders to practice skills in a controlled, supported environment with different levels of difficulty, reducing their anxiety and increasing their sense of self-efficacy. Our aim is that the findings of the feasibility study will inform a future randomised controlled trial. Clinical Trial: The study was registered on the ISRCTN registry on 23rd April 2026 (registration number: ISRCTN37191564).