Treatment as involuntary, incompatible, and intimidating: exploring dropout processes in a randomized controlled trial for eating disorders

Our findings underscored the centrality of perceived coercion, feeling pressured to choose recovery, alienation, misalignment with treatment goals, and the seemingly existential and critical urge to regain control of self during overwhelming emotions evoked when confronted with mandatory treatment components. RCT non-completers' accounts corroborate previous patient-as-expert research on dropout experiences in naturalistic settings. Refined methods are called for to bridge the research-practice gap.