Enhancing Eating Disorder research networks: The Eating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (EDAC)

进食障碍(EDS)是一种严重的精神健康问题，与不良的生活质量和广泛的心理、社会和医学并发症有关。随着越来越多的人寻求治疗，急诊率正在上升。与其他精神健康疾病相比，关于EDS的研究很少，限制了我们对这些疾病的了解，限制了我们开发新的有效治疗方法的能力。重要的是，EDS通常与其他疾病和神经类型(如肥胖症和自闭症)一起发生，但大多数关于EDS的研究都没有利用这些其他主题领域的专业知识和创新。迫切需要进行新的ED研究，开展更广泛、更多样化的合作，以便在这一领域取得进展。这项建议旨在通过以下方式提高ED的研究能力：1)促进不同学科之间的合作，具体目标是研究自闭症患者的ED。2)支持跨学科研究网络的发展，将学术界、自闭症同行研究人员、第三部门、政策、临床医生和有ED生活经验的个人联系起来。3)开发一系列牢牢植根于生活体验的网络、优先事项设置和研究活动。4)通过早期职业研究人员和同伴研究人员提高研究能力和职业发展，支持下一代ED研究人员。5)发展独特的苏格兰研究合作，为在英国各地发展和多样化ED研究专业知识提供关键机会。该项目的核心将是在苏格兰建立的一个新的跨学科网络，旨在使用不同的方法和途径开展由有EDS生活经验的自闭症患者领导的合作研究。更具体地说，我们将发展四个工作流程：1)汇聚一堂：我们将主办协作活动，将研究人员、临床医生和具有ED生活经验的自闭症患者聚集在一起，探索这一领域研究的伦理挑战和最佳实践方法。2)设置议程：我们将使用一种名为PhotoVoice的基于艺术的方法，允许患有EDS的自闭症患者分享他们的经验，并设定这一领域研究的优先事项。这将包括一个展览，展示这些参与者创造的图像。3)测试方法：研究人员将聚集在一起，根据第二个工作流程中确定的优先领域，试验新的方法和合作。我们将开展一系列跨学科网络活动，以探索和分享从这些试验研究中学到的经验。4)实践研究：我们将为政策制定者和临床实践工作者举办一次智囊团活动。这将集中在我们如何确保这项研究影响患有EDS的自闭症患者的生活，包括我们如何最好地为苏格兰的这一人群开发临床服务。

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental health problems associated with poor quality of life and a wide range of psychological, social and medical complications. Rates of EDs are on the rise, with increasing numbers of people seeking treatment. Compared to other mental health conditions there is very little research into EDs, limiting our understanding of these conditions and our ability to develop new, effective treatments. Importantly, EDs commonly occur alongside other conditions and neurotypes (e.g., obesity and autism) and yet the majority of research on EDs is carried out without drawing on expertise and innovations from these other topic areas. There is a pressing need for new ED research, with wider and more diverse collaborations to make progress in this field. This proposal aims to increase ED research capacity by: 1) Facilitating collaborations across diverse academic disciplines with a specific target on researching EDs in autistic individuals. 2) Supporting the development of interdisciplinary research networks bridging academia, autistic peer researchers, the third sector, policy, clinicians and individuals with lived experience of ED. 3) Developing a series of networking, priority setting and research events that are firmly embedded in lived experience. 4) Increasing research capacity and career development via both early career researchers and peer researchers, supporting the next generation of ED researchers. 5) Developing a unique Scottish research collaboration that provides a key opportunity to develop and diversify ED research expertise across the UK. At the heart of this project will be a new interdisciplinary network hosted in Scotland that aims to use different methods and approaches to carry out collaborative research led by autistic people with lived experience of EDs. More specifically, we will develop four streams of work: 1) Coming Together: We will host collaborative events which bring together researchers, clinicians and autistic individuals with lived experience of EDs to exploring the ethical challenges and best practice approaches of research in this area. 2) Setting the Agenda: We will use an arts-based methodology called photovoice to allow autistic individuals with EDs to share their experiences and set the priorities for research in this area. This will involve an exhibition showcasing the images created by these participants.3) Testing the Approach: Researchers will come together to try out new approaches and collaborations based on the priority areas identified in the second work stream. We will carry out a series of interdisciplinary networking events to explore and share these learning from these trial studies.4) Research into Practice: We will host a think tank event for policy makers and those working in clinical practice. This will focus on how we can make sure this research impacts the lives of autistic people with EDs, including how we best to develop clinical services for this population in Scotland.