@article{f3062974959445ba8bc63eb999b83a58,
title = "Patient and mentor language style matching as a predictor of working alliance, engagement with treatment as usual, and eating disorders symptoms over the course of an online guided self-help intervention for anorexia nervosa",
abstract = "Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the processes involved in a guided self-help (GSH) pre-treatment intervention (RecoveryMANTRA) for patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), by measuring the levels of patient/mentor Language Style Matching (LSM). RecoveryMANTRA was supported by student mentors or peer mentors (recovered individuals) over six weekly chat-based sessions. We examined whether LSM during RecoveryMANTRA predicted patients'working alliance with the clinic therapist, motivation, eating disorder (ED) and general psychopathology. A further aim was to examine differences in LSM between student mentors and peer mentors. Method: 87 AN adults received RecoveryMANTRA plus treatment as usual. The LSM algorithm was used to calculate verbal attunement between patient and mentor. Participants were assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Results: Both early (1st session) and late (6th session) LSM predicted higher working alliance with the clinic therapist. Moreover, late LSM predicted lower EDs symptoms at the end of the RecoveryMANTRA intervention. Patient/peer mentor dyads showed higher late verbal attunement than patient/student mentor dyads. Conclusions: These findings suggests that in the early phase of treatment relational aspects can impact on engagement with treatment. Verbal attunement in a GSH for AN is associated with working alliance and better clinical outcome.",
keywords = "anorexia nervosa, eating disorders, guided self-help, language style matching, verbal synchrony, working alliance",
author = "Gaia Albano and Laura Salerno and Valentina Cardi and Timo Brockmeyer and Suman Ambwani and Janet Treasure and {Lo Coco}, Gianluca",
note = "Funding Information: We are grateful to the recovered individuals who contributed to the video‐clips used in the RecoveryMANTRA intervention and to Scarlet Park and Elise Pacquette, who contributed illustrations for the workbook. We acknowledge the support of the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) and are very grateful to our participating clinical services and local collaborators for their help with participants' recruitment and data collection. We are also grateful to National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme (Grant Reference Number PB‐PG‐0712‐28041). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. This work was also supported by the Psychiatry Research Trust, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London (VC and JT). VC is supported by a grant from MIUR (Dipartimenti di Eccellenza DM 11/05/2017 n. 262) to the Department of General Psychology at the University of Padova, Italy. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the NHS, NIHR or the Department of Health. Funding Information: We are grateful to the recovered individuals who contributed to the video-clips used in the RecoveryMANTRA intervention and to Scarlet Park and Elise Pacquette, who contributed illustrations for the workbook. We acknowledge the support of the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) and are very grateful to our participating clinical services and local collaborators for their help with participants' recruitment and data collection. We are also grateful to National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme (Grant Reference Number PB-PG-0712-28041). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. This work was also supported by the Psychiatry Research Trust, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London (VC and JT). VC is supported by a grant from MIUR (Dipartimenti di Eccellenza DM 11/05/2017 n. 262) to the Department of General Psychology at the University of Padova, Italy. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the NHS, NIHR or the Department of Health. Open Access Funding provided by Universita degli Studi di Palermo within the CRUI-CARE Agreement. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors. European Eating Disorders Review published by Eating Disorders Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",
year = "2023",
month = jan,
doi = "10.1002/erv.2948",
language = "English",
volume = "31",
pages = "135--146",
journal = "European Eating Disorders Review",
issn = "1072-4133",
number = "1",
}