Definition
Peer-facilitated eating disorder prevention programs aim to prevent eating disorders using community layperson providers, such as university students, to recruit participants and deliver interventions. Such laypersons (i.e., peer facilitators) typically complete hours of training under the direction of a professional prior to leading a given program. The delivery of programs by peer facilitators is consistent with two broader trends in the prevention/treatment literature. More specifically, the use of peer facilitators is consistent with community participatory research methods, which advocate engaging stakeholder communities (e.g., the student body at a university) as true partners in researching and implementing interventions. Because peer facilitators are members of their stakeholder community, they often serve as “gatekeepers” or liaisons between researchers/professional staff and the stakeholder community. Engaging peers to run prevention programs also is consistent...
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References and Further Reading
Becker, C. B., Smith, L. M., & Ciao, A. C. (2006). Peer-facilitated eating disorder prevention: A randomized effectiveness trial of cognitive dissonance and media advocacy. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(4), 550.
Becker, C., Bull, S., Schaumberg, K., Cauble, A., & Franco, A. (2008). Effectiveness of peer-led eating disorders prevention: A replication trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76(2), 347–354.
Becker, C. B., Wilson, C., Williams, A., Kelly, M., McDaniel, L., & Elmquist, J. (2010). Peer-facilitated cognitive dissonance versus healthy weight eating disorders prevention: A randomized comparison. Body Image, 7(4), 280–288.
Fairburn, C. G., & Patel, V. (2014). The global dissemination of psychological treatments: A road map for research and practice. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(5), 495–498.
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Kilpela, L. S., Hill, K., Kelly, M. C., Elmquist, J., Ottoson, P., Keith, D., & Becker, C. B. (2014). Reducing eating disorder risk factors: A controlled investigation of a blended task-shifting/train-the-trainer approach to dissemination and implementation. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 63, 70–82.
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Stice, E., Rohde, P., Durant, S., & Shaw, H. (2012). A preliminary trial of a prototype internet dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program for young women with body image concerns. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(5), 907.
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© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore
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Becker, C.B., Pollard, T., Harwell, A. (2015). Peer-Facilitated Programs. In: Wade, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Feeding and Eating Disorders. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-087-2_143-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-087-2_143-1
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