Research

InsideOut is Australia’s national institute for research, translation and clinical excellence in eating disorders with global research partnerships. We aim to transform the prevention, early intervention and treatment landscape for eating disorders in Australia, and ultimately find a cure.

InsideOut Publications

InsideOut leads the Australian National Research and Translation Strategy 2020-2030 and conducts innovative, leading research including world-first trials on psychotherapy for people with severe and enduring Anorexia Nervosa, oxytocin for those with Anorexia Nervosa, online treatment programs for people with Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and sub-clinical presentations, and cannabidiol & psychedelics for treatment of people with complex and enduring Anorexia Nervosa.

Since 2018 we have attracted more than $5.5m in research funding, and we have published more than 200 research papers on eating disorder aetiology, prevention and treatment. We regularly present our findings at national and international conferences.

The Institute is currently leading the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) funded Mainstream National Centre for Research & Translation in Eating Disorders. It will build the first comprehensive population-based surveillance system of people with eating disorders, to track detection and intervention across the national health system and monitor outcomes; establishing a national continuous lived experience lifetime survey for people with eating disorders, their family and carers; undertake translation-focused testing for scalable models of care for mainstream health; establish translation hubs in NSW, VIC and QLD to embed research expertise linked to front-line health system design and delivery; and, develop health system and economic models to inform decision making about interventions.

The Institute’s senior researchers, postdocs and PhD students are running numerous other projects in collaboration with partners around Australia and internationally. These have a current focus on early intervention, treatment innovation, translation of evidence-based treatment and improving treatment access, efficacy and equity for all Australians.

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Setting the top 10 eating disorder research and translation priorities for Australia

This study aimed to identify Australia's top 10 consensus-derived research and translation priorities for eating disorders as little is known about what stakeholders (people with a lived experience, caregivers, health care professionals, researchers and policymakers) see as the most important research priorities.

9 Dec, 2022

Models of care for eating disorders: findings from a rapid review

This Rapid Review summarises the evidence relating to how we care for people with eating disorders in Western healthcare systems. Topics covered include inpatient/hospital care, residential care, day programs, outpatient/community care, and referral pathways.

8 Dec, 2022

Screening, assessment and diagnosis in the eating disorders: findings from a rapid review

The current review sought to broadly summarise the literature and identify gaps relating to the screening, assessment, and diagnosis of eating disorders within Western healthcare systems.

5 Dec, 2022

Informing the development of Australia's National Eating Disorders Research and Translation Strategy: a rapid review methodology

A series of rapid reviews were conducted to map the current state of knowledge, identify evidence gaps, and inform development of the national research strategy. Published peer-reviewed literature on DSM-5 listed Eating Disorders was reviewed across the following domains: (1) population, prevalence, disease burden, Quality of Life in Western developed countries; (2) risk factors; (3) co-occurring conditions and medical complications; (4) screening and diagnosis; (5) prevention and early intervention; (6) psychotherapies and relapse prevention; (7) models of care; (8) pharmacotherapies, alternative and adjunctive therapies; and (9) outcomes (including mortality).

1 Dec, 2022