Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences

Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences

Development and Validation of a Self-Help Package Based on the Lived Experiences of Women with Binge Eating Disorder

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Mahsa Moghni Yazdi 1
Shirin Kooshki 2
Fatemeh Golshani 1
1 Department of Psychology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 2. Department of clinical and educational Psychology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22038/mjms.2026.95173.5266
Abstract
Introduction: Binge eating disorder, as the most common eating disorder, is associated with extensive physical, psychological, and social consequences. The present study aimed to develop and validate a self-help package based on the lived experiences of women with binge eating disorder.
Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach. Participants included 25 women with binge eating disorder selected through purposive sampling until data saturation was reached. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method.
Results: The findings led to the extraction of 4 main themes, 18 sub-themes, and 99 meaning units, reflecting causal antecedents, contextual backgrounds, impulsive actions following binge episodes, and their consequences. Based on the extracted themes and relevant theoretical and therapeutic frameworks, a self-help package was designed in 12 sessions of 180 minutes each. To assess content validity, the developed package was reviewed by 16 experts in eating disorders, and its validity indices were confirmed.
Conclusion: The results indicated that the self-help package based on lived experiences has adequate theoretical coherence, content relevance, and expert validity, and can be used as a structured intervention in the field of binge eating disorder.
Keywords
Binge eating disorder
self-help package
lived experiences
phenomenology
validation