Reducing Suicide Risk Associated With Weight Loss

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of an intervention aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle and reducing risk factors associated with eating pathology, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidal behavior. We are also interested in assessing whether this intervention has the potential to prevent future symptoms of eating problems and self-harm urges and behaviors. The broader goal of this research is to identify factors that may help us better understand the prevention of self-harm behaviors and develop more effective treatments for these problems.

The current study was designed as a proof-of-concept study to test the association between weight suppression (WS; difference between one's highest and lowest weight) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Previous research has found an association between current WS and lifetime NSSI and that this association was mediated by depressive symptoms and drive for thinness. The current study therefore modified an existing online cognitive dissonance-based program (the e-Body Project) using mixed gender content (from the Body Project 4 All scripts) to target posited mediators, i.e., depressive symptoms and weight and shape concerns, in a sample of individuals with WS and engagement in current NSSI.

The Body Acceptance Program (BAP) is the active condition. Participants engage in an online intervention during which they complete online and offline activities designed to challenge the appearance-ideal.

Participants in the waitlist control group completed baseline and follow-up assessments with no intervention.

The Body Acceptance Program is a mixed-gender modification of the eBody Project, an online intervention in which cognitive dissonance principals are used to reduce eating pathology.

Change from baseline on the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Short Form (self-report) at follow-up

Feelings about one's appearance; scores are summed and range from 0-40, higher scores indicate greater appearance esteem

Feelings about one's weight; scores are summed and range from 0-32, higher scores indicate greater weight esteem

Feelings about one's characteristics; scores are summed and range from 0-20, higher scores indicate greater self-esteem

Inclusion Criteria: Age 18-65 years old At least 5 pounds weight suppression Engaged in non-suicidal self-injury at least once in past month Exclusion Criteria: Indicated being "sure" of suicide attempt on eligibility screener Live outside of the United States Currently pregnant

Participants' responses to measures collected during the study will be shared with the funding body, the Military Suicide Research Consortium, as part of their Core Data Elements project, a centralized database of data from all MSRC funded projects. All participant responses are deidentified and are uploaded to the MSRC through a secure upload.

Study protocol and informed consent forms will be shared during and after study recruitment. Participants' responses to measures collected during the study will be shared at the end of participant completion.

Once data is uploaded to the Core Data Element (CDE) project, it may be combined with data from other projects for greater power to conduct statistical analyses, including, but not limited to, regression analyses and scale development. The following link (https://msrc.fsu.edu/members/request-access-msrc-database) describes steps that investigators must take in order to access the data. In addition, the study protocols and consent forms are reviewed and approved by the Department of Defense Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) throughout the study.

Witt KG, Hetrick SE, Rajaram G, Hazell P, Taylor Salisbury TL, Townsend E, Hawton K. Psychosocial interventions for self-harm in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 22;4(4):CD013668. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013668.pub2.