SOOTH-ED: Purrble's Soothing Touch for Eating Disorders and Autism
This project will enable a first deployment of Purrble in the context of individuals with co-occurring eating disorders and autism at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Eating Disorder services (Professor Kate Tchanturia's workplace) and partner organisations. The seed funding requested would seeks to help verify and accelerate the impact of Purrble within this clinical mental health context.
Our plan is to establish a collaborative platform connecting King's Departments of Informatics and Psychological Medicine with healthcare partners. This platform will investigate Purrble's potential in treating EDs and establish a long-term implementation pathway. Purrble has the potential to address a need for solutions to sensory disturbances associated with comorbid eating disorders and autism.
Professor Kate Tchanturia’s PEACE pathway has already made significant strides in this area such as developing the sensory wellbeing workshop for those with sensory difficulties. We hypothesise that Purrble could extend interactive support beyond workshop sessions, enhancing treatment potential.
If successful, combining Purrble and the PEACE pathway could offer a unique solution for managing sensory disturbances in a difficult-to-treat population. Strong NHS partnerships and Professor Kate Tchanturia’s network will position us for further funding, enabling large-scale impact and crucial NHS support for Purrble's anticipated impact case study.
