Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40251628›Full record

ArticleJournal of eating disorders2025

A look in the mirror - body exposure in clinical practice.

Jessica Werthmann, Eva Naumann, Silja Vocks, Jennifer Svaldi, Andrea S Hartmann

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of eating disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jessica WerthmannInstitute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. Werthmann@psychologie.uni-freiburg.de.
Eva NaumannInstitute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Silja VocksInstitute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
Jennifer SvaldiInstitute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Andrea S HartmannDepartment of Psychology, Unit of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy of Childhood and Adolescence, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe dissemination of evidence-based techniques is critical for the successful treatment of eating disorders in clinical practice. A growing number of studies suggests that body exposure is an effective technique to treat body image disturbance in eating disorders. However, the dissemination of body exposure among psychotherapists in clinical practice remains unclear.

methodsAn online survey was conducted among licensed psychotherapists in Germany. The dissemination of body exposure in clinical practice, psychotherapists' characteristics (such as clinical training, attitudes towards exposure, confidence), and therapists' experiences with benefits and side-effects of body exposure were assessed.

resultsData of 230 psychotherapists were analysed. More than half of them (58.3%) applied body exposure in their clinical practice. Yet, body exposure was only offered to 37.3% of their eating disorder patients. Moreover, 56.7% of psychotherapists delivering body exposure indicated that they have not received any training in this technique. Self-reported confidence in delivering body exposure correlated significantly with the number of patients treated with body exposure. Psychotherapists who applied body exposure reported minor side-effects and that the majority of their patients profited from this technique.

conclusionsOur results offer insights into the dissemination of body exposure in clinical practice in Germany. Overall, body exposure is still underused considering the empirical evidence demonstrating the potential of body exposure to treat body image disturbances effectively. Moreover, with regard to potential barriers of using body exposure, our data suggest that training opportunities for clinicians may facilitate the dissemination of this technique in clinical practice.

Indexed as

Body exposureClinician anxietyCognitive-Behavioural therapyDisseminationEating disordersEvidence-based practiceExposure therapyResearch-Practice gapTherapist driftTherapist’s characteristics

Identifiers

PMID40251628
PMCPMC12007345

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.