Weight & Listen: The role of a podcast in reducing weight concerns in young people

Thesis Abstract
This thesis consists of three chapters; the first is a literature review, Chapter Two is an empirical paper and the final paper is a reflective account of the research process.
Chapter One details a review of the existing literature concerning Internet-based interventions for addressing eating and weight issues. An overview of the available programs and a methodological critique of the current research are provided. The findings are summarised in terms of clinical implications and recommendations for further exploration are given.
The empirical paper in Chapter Two reports on a study examining the use of a podcast in informing young people about weight issues. An Internet-based podcast intervention was provided to participants aged 14-25 years, who had completed a set of questionnaires concerning weight concerns, social anxiety, mood, perfectionism, self-esteem and substance use. Post and follow-up data were also collected in order to examine any effects of the intervention. Results demonstrated that after listening to the podcast, participants demonstrated significant improvements on a number of the measures, most of which were maintained at follow-up. Significant differences were found between participants with high weight concerns and those with low weight concerns on a selection of measures. The discussion includes clinical implications and potential future research directions.
The final chapter contains reflections on the research process, including; methodological considerations, personal considerations and future directions. Due to the personal nature of this account, it has been written in the first person narrative.
All papers have been written in accordance with guidance for authors provided by The British Journal of Clinical Psychology (see Appendix 2).