Pen and paper therapy: could Self-Compassion letters boost eating disorder recovery?
NCT ID NCT04174703
First seen Feb 01, 2026 · Last updated Jun 23, 2026 · Updated 21 times
Summary
This study tests whether a two-week online letter-writing exercise, where participants write compassionate letters to themselves, can reduce shame and increase readiness for eating disorder treatment. 160 adults with anorexia, bulimia, or binge-eating disorder, who are on a waitlist for treatment, will be randomly assigned to the letter-writing group or a control group. The goal is to see if this simple practice can improve outcomes before formal therapy begins.
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Contacts and locations
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Locations
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St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario, L8N3K7, Canada
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
self-compassionate letter-writing intervention
What this could lead to
If it works, this simple writing exercise could help people feel less shame and be more ready to start eating disorder treatment.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 160 participants. The intervention is brief (2 weeks) and may not produce lasting changes or work for everyone.
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.