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Objective: Findings show virtual therapy (conducted using internet‐based videoconferencing techniques) to be a viable alternative to in‐person therapy for a variety of mental‐health problems. COVID‐19 social‐distancing imperatives required us to substitute virtual interventions for in‐person sessions routinely offered in our outpatient eating disorder (ED) program—and afforded us an opportunity to compare the two treatment formats for clinical efficacy. Methods: Using self‐report assessments, we compared outcomes in a historical sample of 49 adults with heterogeneous EDs (treated in‐person over 10–14 weeks in individual and group therapies) to those of 76 patients receiving comparable virtual treatments, at distance, during the COVID‐19 outbreak. Linear mixed models were used to study symptom changes over time and to test for differential effects of treatment modality. Results: Participants in both groups showed similar improvements on eating symptoms, levels of weight gain (in individuals in whom gain was indicated), and satisfaction with services. Discussion: Our results suggest that short‐term clinical outcomes with virtual and in‐person ED therapies are comparable, and point to potentials of virtual therapy for situations in which geographical distance or other barriers impede physical access to trained therapists or specialized treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to quantify the prevalence of non‐suicidal self‐injury across eating disorders (EDs) and within diagnostic categories through systematic review and proportional, or so‐called prevalence, meta‐analysis. Method: Included studies had to contain individuals with a verified diagnosis of an ED. The last literature search was conducted on September 11, 2023, for studies published on or before September 2023 without a restriction on earliest publication year. Results were synthesized and analyzed using the "metaprop" package in R and presented using forest plots. Bias was assessed by a Peters' regression test and funnel plot. Results: 79 studies published between 1985 and 2023 were included encompassing 32,334 individuals with an ED. Importantly, 42 studies were not included in any other meta‐analyses on self‐injury in EDs to date. Overall prevalence of non‐suicidal self‐injury was 34.59% (95%CI = 30.49–38.81). Prevalence in anorexia nervosa restrictive type, binge/purge type, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other specified feeding/eating disorder were 23.19% (95%CI = 16.96–30.03%), 41.98% (95%CI = 32.35–51.91%), 36.97% (95%CI = 30.69–43.46%), 21.21% (95%CI = 14.93–28.12%) and 37.65% (95%CI = 28.59–47.09%), respectively. Prevalence estimations could not be estimated for other ED categories due to lack of a sufficient number of studies. Discussion: Non‐suicidal self‐injury is prevalent across both binge/purge and restrictive EDs. Considering the transdiagnostic nature of self‐injurious behaviors in ED, the results highlight the importance of assessment and monitoring of self‐injury in people with ED, irrespective of specific diagnoses. The method of determining self‐injury varied across studies and may limit this study. Public Significance: This study highlights the prevalence of self‐injury across eating disorders irrespective of diagnosis and within specific EDs. While diagnoses known to exhibit self‐injurious behaviors (e.g., bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa binge/purge subtype) demonstrated the highest prevalence of self‐injury, all diagnoses were found to have a prevalence greater than 20%. These findings suggest the importance of assessing and monitoring all individuals with an eating disorder for the presence of self‐injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]