Subscribe to our newsletter!
© 2026 InsideOut
InsideOut acknowledges the tradition of custodianship and law of the Country on which the University of Sydney and Charles Perkins Centre campus stands. We pay our respects to those who have cared and continue to care for Country. We are committed to diversifying research and eliminating inequities and discrimination in healthcare. We welcome all people regardless of age, gender, race, size, sexuality, language, socioeconomic status, location or ability.
This project evaluated the way eating disorder care is delivered nationally, by looking at data from across the health system and considering the voice of the lived experience. MAINSTREAM is a multi-disciplinary team, involving researchers and linked to health partners (headspace and PHNs).
The NSW Service Plan sets out a major five‑year effort to strengthen eating‑disorder care across the health system, improving access, quality, and outcomes through better services, pathways, and workforce capability. This research evaluates how well service plan training boosts knowledge and confidence so programs can keep improving and inform government and sector-wide planning.
This study looked at how lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) affects the brain in people with binge eating disorder. After treatment, people showed brain changes that went along with feeling and functioning better, suggesting the medicine may help by shifting how the brain handles appetite, reward, and self‑control.
This study tested an online CBT program for people with muscle dysmorphia and found it was workable, well‑received, and helped reduce symptoms like compulsive exercise and disordered eating.
This study explores the use of cannabidiol (CBD) as an adjunct to treatment for people with Anorexia Nervosa (AN).
This study seeks to develop a deep understanding of the biological, psychological and social factors contributing to an individual's eating disorder. Using this information, we plan to co-produce a universal measure of eating disorders.
This study explored the experience of prescription and non-prescription drug use in people with eating disorders. Findings indicate that the perceived health benefits of substances like psychedelics and cannabis often rating more favourably than conventional prescription medication.
The IncludED study is one of Australia's largest investigations into eating and body image concerns within the LGBTQIA+ community, conducted through online surveys with people aged 16+ from across the globe. The findings aim to improve awareness, support, and treatment for eating disorders within these communities, which have been historically under‑researched.
The TailorED study tests innovative interventions for people with Bulimia Nervosa or Binge Eating Disorder who don't respond well to standard cognitive behavioural therapy, comparing personalised care with brain stimulation (TMS). This stepped-care approach aims to optimise treatment outcomes, reduce costs and waiting times, and provide evidence for tailoring care based on individual treatment response.
SupportED is the first inclusive online support program co-designed for carers of people with eating disorders, offering self-paced skills training across all eating disorder types and carer relationships. Preliminary findings demonstrate the program's acceptability and feasibility while showing promise in reducing caregiver burden and improving support capabilities.
This study develops and empirically validates a standardised assessment tool based on the RAVES framework to measure nutritional rehabilitation in people with eating disorders. By operationalising this widely-used clinical framework, the tool will enable consistent tracking of recovery progress, facilitate tailored interventions, and enhance evidence-based nutrition care in eating disorder treatment.
This study develops and validates a perinatal-adapted screening tool (IOI-SP) through lived-experience co-design to accurately identify eating disorder symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum, addressing a critical gap in routine detection.
The InsideOut Institute Screener (IOI‑S) is a co‑designed digital tool that accurately identifies people at high risk of, or in the early stages of, eating disorders. This project shows that the IOI‑S performs equally well when used online or delivered face‑to‑face by clinicians, highlighting its potential to support earlier detection and intervention in primary healthcare.
This study looked at how eating disorder research was funded in Australia between 2009 and 2021 and compared it with funding for other mental health conditions. It found that eating disorders receive far less research investment than their severity, prevalence, and high mortality rates would justify, highlighting a major gap between need and funding.
This project created a single, standard set of information to be collected about eating disorders across Australia, to help us better understand how people access treatment and how well those treatments work.
This pilot study evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of an online microlearning program for GPs to help support patients with eating disorders. Results demonstrated improved skills, confidence, and willingness-to-treat among participating GPs.
An analysis of the first 24 months of uptake of Australia's 2019 dedicated Medicare items for eating disorders, examining variations in service delivery across regions, healthcare settings, and professional disciplines. The study tracked over 29,000 care plans initiated and 265,000 treatment sessions delivered, identifying opportunities for program refinement to optimise outcomes and ensure policy objectives are met.
This trial will develop and evaluate a personalised package of care for young people with anorexia nervosa aged 14-25 through co-production with individuals and families, with treatment tailored based on regular clinical and psychometric review.
This study applies nutritional geometry to food diary records from 200 people with Binge Eating Disorder or Bulimia Nervosa to investigate whether insufficient protein intake drives overconsumption and loss of dietary control.
EDGI is a world-first genome-wide association study conducted in collaboration with QIMR Berghofer and international researchers. It aims to identify the hundreds of genes contributing to Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, and ARFID, to enable more targeted, personalised interventions and earlier detection in high-risk groups.
This project develops a data-driven model of treatment personalisation using pre-existing clinical datasets to identify individual-level intervention targets for eating disorders, followed by a pilot study assessing preliminary efficacy, acceptability, and feasibility.
The GP Hub and Tools research program evaluates a comprehensive, free, nationally available digital hub designed to support GPs in screening, assessing, diagnosing, and treating eating disorders through evidence-based tools, clinical decision support, and practice management resources. The program monitors engagement and outcomes to identify improvement opportunities, with the goal of increasing GPs' knowledge, confidence, and willingness to identify and manage eating disorders in primary care.
SkillED is an online CBT self-help program with 11 self-paced modules that evaluates innovative engagement strategies - including individual treatment choice and just-in-time adaptive interventions - to reduce dropout rates and improve adherence and outcomes for individuals aged 12+ experiencing eating disorder symptoms.
Our eClinic is a digital platform providing immediate access to evidence-based online interventions and self-monitoring tools for people with eating disorders at any point in their recovery journey, with a Health Professional Portal enabling clinician-guided support. This research establishes a comprehensive outcomes database from routinely collected eClinic data to analyse accessibility, usage, and treatment effectiveness, informing platform improvements and transforming service provision for underserved populations.
The My Diet Study is the first longitudinal, observational investigation of self-directed dieting patterns in young people aged 16-25, combining in-depth psychological and biological data to understand factors impacting dieting experiences. By examining natural dieting habits before eating disorders emerge, the research aims to identify biomarkers for risk, inform safety frameworks for young people's dieting, and establish evidence-based guidance for diet-based lifestyle interventions.
This trial evaluates the safety, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for individuals with treatment-resistant anorexia nervosa who have not responded to standard evidence-based interventions.
This study investigates brain and hormonal responses to real-time food consumption decisions in individuals with anorexia nervosa using brain imaging and biomarker analysis. The research aims to identify biological drivers of restrictive eating and inform development of novel treatment targets.
This study examines who is using GLP-1 agonists (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro) and their experiences, particularly regarding physical and mental health outcomes, side effects, and associations with disordered eating. Through surveys and interviews with users aged 18+, the research aims to identify the benefits and harms of these medications and provide insights into their real-world effects on health and wellbeing.
The Holistic Understanding study is a longitudinal, biopsychosocial dense-sampling study designed to uncover the mechanisms underlying eating disorder development and maintenance, addressing gaps in current understanding that limit treatment efficacy.
This project aims to improve treatment and early intervention of eating disorders in mainstream mental health settings nationally (Headspace, Medicare Mental Health, Head to Health and Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR)) by embedding evidence-based treatment in care and upskilling frontline mental health clinicians.
This study investiagted the use of Family-Based Therapy (FBT) via telehealth for young people with Anorexia Nervosa living in rural and regional settings. It found that telehealth-FBT was feasibly implemented into rural services, with preliminary efficacy comparable to those reported by specialist studies.
The livED project offers a digital platform for people to share their experiences of living with and getting treatment for body image, eating or exercise concerns. The project aims to improve and diversify our understanding of eating disorders within the community and to inform health system approaches.