Assessing the Usability, Feasibility, and Engagement in IM FAB, a Functionality-Focused Micro-Intervention to Reduce Eating Disorder Risk

D. Catherine Walker (), Mai P. N. Tran, Lauren E. Leavitt and Dena Contreras
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D. Catherine Walker: Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308, USA
Mai P. N. Tran: Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308, USA
Lauren E. Leavitt: Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308, USA
Dena Contreras: Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, NY 12308, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: Although our society is becoming increasingly reliant on technology, clinical practice has not yet harnessed digital technology to address the widest audience possible to prevent and treat a range of mental health concerns. The present study aimed to contribute to the literature by exploring the usability, feasibility, and engagement in In the Mirror: Functional Appreciated Bodies (IM FAB), an easily disseminable micro-intervention aimed at reducing body image dissatisfaction and eating disorder risk, piloted in a sample of undergraduate women. We evaluated the usability of the intervention’s procedures and prompts, the feasibility of using the IM FAB program as a smartphone app, and participant engagement to best understand how the participants’ experiences can inform future digital mental health intervention development using the same treatment techniques. Two hundred undergraduate women completed three weeks of mirror exposure sessions and received randomly scheduled text-based journaling prompts in the intervening two weeks. They completed a post-experiment questionnaire, which included the Usability Metric for User Experience (UMUX) scale, app-based feasibility questions, and engagement questions. Usability, feasibility, and engagement scores were high. Participants were generally positive, but with some mixed feedback about transitioning IM FAB to a digital mental health format, noting concerns about accountability and engagement if it was self-directed. Participants generally reported that the text journaling supported what they learned during mirror exposures. These insights can guide the future piloting of the IM FAB program as a mobile app with individualized features.

Keywords: micro-intervention; body functionality; gratitude; digital mental health intervention; eating disorder; body dissatisfaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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