Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Recent studies underscore the relevance of life meaning to the maintenance of eating disorders. A previously conducted randomized controlled trial tested a meaning-centered intervention for female university students with high weight and shape concerns. After a 6-week online intervention led by a trainer, participants in the intervention condition scored higher on life meaning and lower on eating disorder symptoms and general distress compared to a waitlist group. METHOD: Given that the original study took place during COVID-19, this study replicated the design to test the findings' robustness. RESULTS: Compared to the waitlist condition (n = 68), participants in the intervention condition (n = 63) again scored higher on the presence of life meaning at post-assessment and follow-up. Participants in the intervention condition also showed moderately lower internalizing symptoms at both timepoints, whereas eating disorder symptoms were only reduced in those with relatively high baseline symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, also without social distancing measures, the intervention increased life meaning and reduced eating disorder symptoms and comorbid internalizing symptoms in women with weight and shape concerns.