Description
The project Healthy and Free is focused on prevention and early intervention of eating disorders through support to mental health, self-acceptance and a positive relation to him/herself and eating behavior. Through the extension of professional information on the internet and providing anonymous low-threshold support, the project helps in destigmatization of mental illness, its treatment and to find timely and adequate help. It offers a counterbalance to the sites which propagate unhealthy attitudes and behavior and it corrects false and inaccurate information that are spread on internet. The project is going to create a web portal that contains expert information given in a user-friendly form; discussion forum; an opportunity to consult with an expert and simple screening tests. In cooperation with the Norwegian partner, we are going to carry on supportive chats and consult effective dissemination strategies. The project's target groups are adults and adolescents, persons with eating disorders and persons at risk and also for general public. Norwegian partner ROS – Rådgivning om spiseforstyrrelser will share its knowledge and experience with the beneficiary on creating the web portal and methodological documents.
Summary of project results
The aim of Healthy and Free project is the early intervention and indicated primary prevention of eating disorders (EDs) through providing professional low-treshold anonymous online services to adolescents and adults, who suffer from EDs or are at high-risk, as well as providing support to their parents, relatives and teachers. The EDs are often associated with the fear of stigmatization, which prevent the affected individuals from seeking help. The scientific literature has shown that the professional anonymous online support could effectively help reduce worries of treatment and motivate to find a proper help in person timely. Further, through the spreading of professional information on the Internet, the project helps destigmatization of mental illness and their treatment among general public. It offers a counterbalance to the sites which promote unhealthy attitudes and behaviors and it corrects false and inaccurate information that are spread on the Internet and in tabloid press. The project’aim was fulfilled by developing the extensive web portal with professional materials, by establishing and providing anonymous chats with clinical pychologist and anonymous moderated discussion forum and by the dissemination among the target group. All the results indicators were fulfilled – the number of unique visitors was exceeded more than twice. In The Czech Republic: - The
www.healthyandfree.cz web portal which contains articles with professional guarantee, self-help materials, information about the evidence-based treatment, methodical materials and guidelines for teachers and parents. - The supervised anonymous peer discussion forum. - The developing of chat application and providing of anonymous real-time chats with a clinical psychologist and specialists for eating disorder treatment, as well as chats with a nutrition specialist and other professionals. - The dissemination among the target group. In Norway: - The Norwegian NGO ROS has their web portal already developed and well-established among the target group. Within the project, they created their own chat application on their website and they are providing the anonymous counselling. The outputs of the sub-project were: - The established low-treshold anonymous services for the target group - The web portal - 16 445 unique visitors of
www.healthyandfree.cz - The anonymous discussion forum - 545 posts - The chat application - 180 chats with the therapists
Summary of bilateral results
The recipient have established a partnership with a Norwegian NGO ROS (
www.nettros.no), focused on low-treshold support for individuals suffering from EDs and their relatives. The organization is experienced in online dissemination as well. Within the project they have provided the anonymous chat support, with the recipient they were consulting the different stategies and methodology and comparing the results (statistics from questionnaires filled by the therapists after each chat). The official partnership does not continue, but they are sharing the results and experience, a possible future cooperation in the same field could be beneficial.