Effectiveness of Hatha Yoga and From Feeling to Seeing the Body (FSB) in Female Adolescents and Young Adults With Eating Disorders.

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the effectiveness of two types of intervention (Hatha Yoga and FSB From Feeling to Seeing the Body - Embodied Experience Intervention for body image) on eating behaviour and body dissatisfaction in females aged 16-25 with eating disorders. The main questions the study aims to answer are:

* Do Hatha Yoga and FSB Intervention have an impact on eating behavior and reductions in body dissatisfaction?
* How do Hatha Yoga and FSB Intervention influence underlying mechanisms such as embodiment, interoceptive awareness, body and functionality appreciation, mindfulness and self-compassion? Researchers will compare the outcomes with a control group that will receive only standard treatment to determine whether the specific Hatha Yoga and FSB interventions have an impact on body dissatisfaction and eating behaviors.

Participants will be divided into three groups:

* Control Group (C): patients will continue with treatment as usual (TAU) which consists of periodic psychiatric, psychotherapeutic, nutritional and dietetic visits.
* Hatha Yoga Group (Y): patients will continue TAU and will additionally attend one weekly Hatha Yoga session.
* From Feeling to Seeing the Body Group (FSB): patients will continue TAU and will additionally attend one weekly FSB session.

Conditions

• Body Image
• Eating Disorders
• Anorexia Nervosa
• Bulimia Nervosa

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Hatha Yoga Group (Y)

Hatha Yoga is an ancient Indian discipline aimed at promoting psychophysical well-being through the integration of bodily movement, regulated breathing, and cultivated awareness across different forms of practice. It is suitable for individuals of all ages, levels of physical fitness, and prior experience. Hatha Yoga encompasses a broad range of postures (Asana) and breathing techniques (Pranayama), which can be adapted to various clinical conditions. Each session will follow a standardized structure: 5 minutes of mindfulness practice and mantra recitation; 25 minutes of Asana practice; 10 minutes of Pranayama; 18 minutes of Yoga Nidra; and 2 minutes of concluding mantra recitation. Throughout the intervention period, different practices will be introduced progressively, in accordance with participants' increasing familiarity with yoga. For research purposes, the sessions delivered to the two groups will be identical.

BEHAVIORAL

From Feeling to Seeing the Body Group (FSB)

Thirteen weekly 60-minute sessions will be conducted. The first session will be delivered individually, and the subsequent sessions will take place in pairs. One introductory session focused on the concept of body image and the experiential implementation of the silhouette task (body figure drawing). FEELING - The initial sessions involve predominantly passive experiences (e.g., massage with balls and fabrics), whereas the subsequent sessions focus on active experiential practices (e.g., movement with fabrics, exploration of muscle tone, and movement under blindfolded conditions). SEEING - The second phase of the intervention involves the gradual experiential exploration of one's body image, beginning with shadow-based activities and distorted mirrors, and culminating in structured mirror exposure.

BEHAVIORAL

Control Group (C)

The integrated multidisciplinary standard intervention, SSCM (Specialist Supportive Clinical Management), includes periodic psychiatric, psychotherapeutic, nutritional, and dietetic consultations. Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM) combines clinical management and supportive psychotherapy within individual sessions, primarily focusing on the normalization of eating behaviors and weight restoration. It provides specialized psychoeducation regarding the core features of eating disorders and addresses additional personal difficulties identified by the patient. Treatment as usual (TAU), which is also provided to participants in the other two intervention groups (Y and FSB), consists of periodic individualized sessions tailored to the patient's clinical needs. Each patient will have access to outpatient specialist consultations with the following professionals: Psychiatrist, Medical nutritionist, Psychologist-psychotherapist, Dietitian.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Azienda Ulss 2 Marca Trevigiana

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Chiara Fuligno, TNPEE · Azienda Ulss 2 Marca Trevigiana

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Max Age

25 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-03-10

Primary Completion

2025-10-01

Completion

2026-01-27

Countries

• Italy

Study Locations