Integrated treatments for comorbid eating disorders and substance use disorders

(Photo provided by Molly Miller)

“…with the information gathered from these studies, the lab will be able to create novel, evidence-based treatment guidelines for individuals experiencing comorbid eating disorders and substance use disorders.” ~Molly Miller

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*In the following article, TS refers to The Synapse and MM refers to Molly Miller

TS: Could you briefly introduce yourself, your supervisor, your research topic, and the field it contributes to?

MM: Hi! My name is Molly Miller, and I am currently working towards my Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I took the basic research course because I am hoping to complete my Honours in Psychology next year. Through the basic research course, I got the opportunity to participate in eating disorder research under the supervision of Dr. Emilie Lacroix.

TS: What was your research project (main research question, inspiration for project, methods, results if applicable) and your contributions? What drew you to pursuing this project?

MM: My main research project was working on the preliminary stages for a scoping review (i.e. a work that assesses existing literature) that will examine integrated treatment approaches for comorbid eating disorders and substance use disorders. For example, I did a preliminary scan of the literature on integrated treatments for eating disorders and substance use disorders, I attended meetings with a librarian to create a search strategy, and I worked on a scoping review protocol outlining our plan for the research project. I was drawn to this project in Dr. Lacroix’s lab because in the future, I am hoping to pursue Clinical Psychology and I am interested in comorbidity research (i.e., when someone experiences more than one disorder at the same time).

TS: Are there any future studies that will be conducted based on your project? 

MM: The scoping review I got the opportunity to work on is one of a series of three related projects. Dr. Lacroix’s Honours student is working on a qualitative study with individuals who have experienced both an eating disorder and substance use disorders and the lab is also going to start working on a qualitative study with care providers. The goal is that with the information gathered from these studies, the lab will be able to create novel, evidence-based treatment guidelines for individuals experiencing comorbid eating disorders and substance use disorders.

TS: Why did you choose to take the basic research course? To what extent did the research experience align with what you’d expected? 

MM: I took the basic research course in preparation to do an Honours project next year. The basic research course exceeded my expectations. Not only did it teach me about what goes into academic research, but it also allowed me to gain valuable hands-on experience. In terms of the amount of work, I spent on average about 9 hours a week on the course doing tasks assigned to me by my research supervisor or doing coursework. It is definitely a commitment, but it is extremely worth it and I would recommend this course to anyone looking to get a taste of academic research! Ψ

Created for The Synapse by Jake Taylor.