Table 3.

Included study characteristics

Author(s), Year and Location	Aim(s)	Sample Characteristics: size (N), age, gender, ethnicity, diagnosis (Dx)	Treatment Setting, Length of Stay (LoS)	Recruitment	Data Analysis and Data Collection
Biddiscombe et al., 2018 Australia	To explore the experience of occupational therapy food groups in supporting functional recovery in an adult ED day program.	N = 99 Age: 26 (17–41) Gender: 98% F, 1% M Ethnicity: NR Dx: 11% AN, 30% BN, 3% BED, 45% EDNOS, Missing 10%	Setting: Specialist day-patient (4 days / week) LoS: 0.14 – 27 weeks	Invitation to past patients upon discharge from day program during a specified period Open ended questions (discharge and follow up questionnaires)	Thematic Analysis (adopting an inductive approach)
Clark Bryan et al., 2022 United Kingdom	To explore the process of transitioning from intensive treatment to the community.	N = 11 Age: 24.8 (16.8-32.8) Gender: 87% F, 13% M Ethnicity: 100% White Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient and day-patient (various) LoS: NR	Invitation to past patients post discharge from intensive treatment during a specified period Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Analysis (adopting an inductive approach)
Cockell et al., 2004 Canada	To identify factors that help or hinder the maintenance of change and the promotion of recovery during the 6 months following ED treatment.	N = 32 Age: 27.9 (17.8-38) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: NR	Setting: Specialist inpatient (15-week program) LoS: NR	Invitation to past patients 6 months post discharge from inpatient treatment Semi-structured interviews	Grounded Theory
Eli, 2014 Israel	To explore the experiences of specialist ED inpatient treatment in Israel.	N = 13 Age: NR (18–38) Gender: 92.3% F, 7.7% M Ethnicity: NR Dx: 92.3% AN, 7.7% BN	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: NR “considerable variations”	Invitation to past patients through various sources years after admission, as part of a longitudinal anthropology study Semi-structured interviews	Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Federici & Kaplan, 2008 Canada	To explore views of relapse and recovery in the first year following intensive treatment.	N = 15 Age: 26 (19.5-32.5) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: 100% White Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist day-patient and inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation one year following discharge to past patients with discharge BMI ≥ 20 Semi-structured interviews	Phenomenological Approach
Fox & Diab, 2015 United Kingdom	To explore experiences of living with and being treated for chronic AN in an inpatient treatment setting.	N = 6 Age: 27 (19–50) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: 100% White British Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: 4-27 months	Invitation to current inpatients during a specified period Semi-structured interviews	Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Hannon et al., 2017 United Kingdom	To explore experiences of long term intensive community treatment for individuals with severe AN.	N = 5 Age: NR (23–30) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: 100% White British Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Intensive community treatment LoS: NR	Invitation to current and past patients who had received a full package of treatment during a specified period Semi-structured interviews	Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Hedlund & Landgren, 2017 Sweden	To elucidate experiences of receiving acupuncture as a complement to treatment as usual in inpatient treatment.	N = 9 Age: 30 (22–55) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation to current patients receiving acupuncture during a specified period Narrative interviews	Phenomenological Hermeneutic Method
Holmes et al., 2021 United Kingdom	To explore the experience of trust in inpatient treatment.	N = 14 Age: NR (20–42) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: 78.6% White British, 21.4% White Jewish, 7.1% White American, 7.1% Other Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient (various) LoS: NR	Invitation to past patients through an ED charity website and social media Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Analysis (within a poststructural, discourse-analytic framework)
İnce et al., 2023 United Kingdom	To explore the intensive treatment experiences of individuals with severe AN and their carers.	N = 6 Age: NR Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient and day-patient (various) LoS: NR	Invitation to past patients via email after routine 6-month follow-up assessment questionnaire completion Semi-structured interviews	Reflexive Thematic Analysis
Larsson et al., 2018 United Kingdom	To explore experiences of a perfectionism group intervention during inpatient treatment.	N = 14 Age: 27.4 (19.7-35.1) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation to current patients following completion of perfectionism group during a specified period Focus groups	Thematic Analysis
Long et al., 2011 United Kingdom	To investigate inpatient perceptions of mealtimes on specialist ED units.	N = 12 Age: 22.1 (17.4-29.5) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient (various) LoS: NR	Invitation to current inpatients from ED units (three public, one independent) during a specified period Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Analysis
Mac Donald et al., 2023 Denmark	To explore experiences of patients with AN who have experienced multiple involuntary treatment events.	N = 7 Age: NR (states 20–30 s) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: NR LoS: NR	Invitation to past patients of specialised units, the Danish patient organization, and the Danish Society for EDs (via flyers, websites, social media) Semi-structured interviews	Reflexive Thematic Analysis (adopting an inductive approach)
Matthews et al., 2019 Australia	To examine development and implementation of a day treatment program from patient and provider perspectives.	N = 11 Age: NR (17–33) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 81.8% AN, 18.1% Missing	Setting: Specialist day-patient LoS: NR	Invitation to all patients attending the day patient program during a specified period Semi-structured interviews	Framework Method
Matthews-Rensch et al., 2023 Australia	To describe the acceptability of a 7-day nasogastric refeeding protocol with adults with medically unstable EDs and staff involved in their treatment.	N = 8 Age: 22 (18–27) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 75% AN, 25% OSFED	Setting: Acute – medical stabilisation LoS: NR	Invitation to all participants undergoing refeeding during a specified period Semi-structured interviews	Framework Method
Money et al., 2011 United Kingdom	To explore patients’ experiences of CREST (Cognitive Remediation and Emotion Skills Training) during inpatient treatment.	N = 28 Age: 25 (13–40) Gender: 96.4% F, 3.6% M Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation to current patients who had completed CREST during inpatient treatment during a specified period Open ended questions, as part of end of therapy reflection form.	Content Analysis
O’Connell, 2023 United Kingdom	To examine one individual’s lived experience of the diagnosis and treatment of anorexia nervosa.	N = 1 Age: NR Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient (various) LoS: NR (study relates to four admissions)	Not applicable. Personal diaries and community and hospital medical records.	Autoethnography
Pemberton & Fox, 2013 United Kingdom	To understand factors important in the care and emotional management of EDs in inpatient treatment.	N = 8 Age: NR (states that 7 were under 25) Gender: 87.5% F, 12.5% M Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient (two, one also with an intensive care unit) LoS: 0.5 – 6 months	Invitation to current patients of two inpatient units during a specified period Semi-structured interviews	Grounded Theory
Rienecke et al., 2023 United States of America	To understand the patients’ perspectives of involuntary treatment in an acute medical stabilisation unit.	N = 30 Age: 30.8 (20–54) Gender: 87% F, 10% M, 3% non-binary Ethnicity: 100% White Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Acute – medical stabilisation LoS: 7-74 days	Invitation to past patients who had been admitted involuntarily to the acute medical stabilisation unit. Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Analysis
Ross & Green, 2011 United Kingdom	To consider whether inpatient admission was a therapeutic experience for two women with AN.	N = 2 Age: NR (states both >18) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist IP inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation to current patients during a specific period Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Narrative Analysis
Seed et al., 2016 United Kingdom	To explore how people with AN experience detention under the Mental Health Act and how these experiences impact on recovery.	N = 12 Age: 28.1 (18–43) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient (various) LoS: NR	Invitation to current and past inpatients with experience of detention through one independent ED service, two National Health Service ED services, and an ED charity website Semi-structured interviews	Grounded Theory
Sly et al., 2014 United Kingdom	To examine the experiences of developing therapeutic alliance during inpatient treatment for an ED.	N = 8 Age: 25 (18–34) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: 100% White Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation to current inpatients during a specific period Semi-structured interviews	Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Smith et al., 2016 United Kingdom	To explore the experiences of women currently undergoing specialist inpatient treatment for AN.	N = 21 Age: 25.2 (18–41) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: 2-28 weeks	Invitation to current inpatients through a patient community meeting Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Analysis (adopting a realist and inductive approach)
Solhaug & Alsaker, 2021 Norway	To explore how patients with severe EDs experience inpatient treatment, and how they value the impact of their experiences in treatment.	N = 3 Age: NR (18–30) Gender: NR Ethnicity: NR Dx: NR	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation to current inpatients during a specified period Diary entries	Thematic Analysis (adopting an interpretive approach)
Strand et al., 2017 Sweden	To explore patients’ experiences of participating in a self-admission program at a specialist ED unit.	N = 16 Age: 31 (18–56) Gender: 94% F, 6% M Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation to current and past inpatients enrolled in a self-admission program Semi-structured interviews	Content Analysis
Whitney et al., 2008 United Kingdom	To explore service users’ experiences and perspectives towards receiving CRT (Cognitive Remediation Therapy) during inpatient treatment.	N = 19 Age: 30.3 (17–54) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation for feedback from current patients receiving CRT during their penultimate CRT session. Feedback letters	Grounded Theory
Williams et al., 2020 Canada	To explore the characteristics, outcomes and experiences of young adults accessing residential ED treatment.	N = 39 Age: 20.2 (18–24) Gender: 97.4% F, 2.6% non-binary Ethnicity: NR Dx: NR	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: 1-4.6 months	Invitation to current inpatients during a specified period Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Analysis
Wright & Hacking, 2012 United Kingdom	To explore the lived experience of therapeutic relationships between women with AN and their healthcare professionals.	N = 6 Age: NR (21–44) Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: 100% White British Dx:100% AN	Setting: Specialist day-patient LoS: NR	Invitation to current day-patients and their healthcare professionals during a specified period Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Analysis
Yim et al., 2023 United Kingdom	To explore patients’ experiences and perceptions of the utility of clinical team meetings (ward rounds)	N = 6 Age: NR Gender: 100% F Ethnicity: NR Dx: NR	Setting: Specialist inpatient LoS: NR	Invitation to current inpatients during a specified period Focus groups and one semi-structured interview	Reflexive Thematic Analysis
Zugai et al., 2018 Australia	To understand the nature of therapeutic alliance between nurses and patients with AN in inpatient treatment.	N = 34 Age: 20 (NR) Gender: 97% F, 3% M Ethnicity: NR Dx: 100% AN	Setting: Mixture of specialist ED and general mental health inpatient units LoS: NR	Invitation to current inpatients with experience of at least one week of treatment in one of six inpatient wards. Semi-structured interviews	Thematic Analysis (adopting a deductive and inductive approach)

Note. BMI = Body Mass Index; NR = Not Reported; LoS = Length of stay; F = Female; M = Male; AN = Anorexia Nervosa; BN = Bulimia Nervosa; BED = Binge Eating Disorder; EDNOS = Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified; OSFED = Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder