“Find a life worth living”: An analysis of experiences of residential treatment for eating disorders

Residential treatment for eating disorders is becoming increasingly common, and aims to provide individualised care within a less restrictive environment than traditional inpatient treatment settings. However, research regarding participant experiences of residential care remain limited. This study employed a mixed-methods longitudinal design to explore the experiences of individuals receiving care at Australia's first residential treatment facility for eating disorders. Seventy-eight participants completed the Your Experience of Service Survey and provided responses to open-ended questions at baseline, week 4, and discharge. Three main themes were generated from the data using reflexive thematic analysis: 1) Hopes for treatment and recovery; 2) Experiences at Wandi Nerida; and 3) Strengthening hope for recovery. Results demonstrated that participants held a generally positive view of residential treatment, particularly valuing individual psychological and nutritional therapies, meal support, nature therapies, and the presence of lived experience staff. Participants perceived residential treatment as providing holistic care that enhanced their sense of hope for recovery and supported their efforts to reclaim their identity from the eating disorder. While there was variability in each person's experience, overall, participants reported feeling respected, safe, and comfortable during their time at Wandi Nerida. These findings support literature suggesting that residential treatment offers a unique opportunity to facilitate person-centred and recovery-oriented treatment that promotes autonomy in the context of individualised, holistic and evidenced-based person-centred treatment. Nonetheless, residential treatment remains only one option along the broader continuum of care and further research is needed to optimise several aspects of this model of care.