Community Table
Recovery Through Connected Eating The Community Table is a group-based meal support program that aims to provide a supportive environment for individuals working toward nutrition related goals (i.e. adequate eating, variety, and social eating). The program also aims to provide a supportive environment for individuals to manage meal related anxiety and distress in the moment and practice skills and activities that may be helpful in managing meal related anxiety and distress. The Community Table included a range of craft, gardening, sensory and mindfulness-based activities.
After the initial success in the development and delivery of The Community Table in the previous financial year, EDQ facilitated four rounds of the program between July 2019 and February 2020. For the second year in a row, EDQ partnered with the Queensland Eating Disorder Service Day Program who provided a co-facilitator for each round. Eating Issues Practitioner David co-facilitated the first, third and fourth rounds and Senior Eating Issues Practitioner Emma co-facilitated the second round. Eating Issues Practitioner Lisa also co-facilitated the fourth round of the program.
Statistical analysis of quantitative data was completed by Dr Yvette Miller at the School of Public Health and Social at the Queensland University of Technology. This evaluation examined the outcomes off all nine programs completed in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 financial years. As with the evaluation of the pilot program, the results were promising and included a statistically significant reduction in eating disorder symptomology across the Restraint and Shape concerns subscales of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE Q). The evaluation also identified a very confident reduction in the global EDE Q score. Participants reported that they found the structure and activities of the program helpful in managing meal related anxiety and distress. Participants also reported that they found the group environment supportive when working toward nutritional goals.
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Eating Disorders Queensland
