Overview

The Provincial Specialized Eating Disorders Program for Children & Adolescents, based at BC Children's Hospital, employs evidence-based therapies in the treatment of youth with eating disorders. As Research Lead for this program, I am examining the treatment outcomes of youth who attend treatment in the Eating Disorders Program. We believe that families are key resources for youth with eating disorders, and that it is important for parents/caregivers to be involved in the treatment process. Because families play such an important role in treatment of youth, I am also evaluating changes in well-being of parents/caregivers over the course of their child's treatment in the program. Other research interests include thought processes that are involved in the development and maintenance of eating disorders, and the overlap between eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Publications

Cognitive Distortions Associated with Imagination of the Thin Ideal: Validation of the Thought-Shape Fusion Body Questionnaire (TSF-B)
Frontiers in Psychology
Andrea Wyssen and Luka J. Debbeler and Andrea H. Meyer and Jennifer S. Coelho and Nadine Humbel and Kathrin Schuck and Julia Lennertz and Nadine Messerli-Bürgy and Esther Biedert and Stephan N. Trier and Bettina Isenschmid and Gabriella Milos and Katherina Whinyates and Silvia Schneider and Simone Munsch
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02194
2017

Translating research into clinical practice across the developmental spectrum: Examining the clinical utility of the short treatment allocation tool for eating disorders
International Journal of Eating Disorders
Josie Geller and Jennifer S. Coelho and Suja Srikameswaran and Pei-Yoong Lam and Megumi Iyar and Mark L. Norris
DOI: 10.1002/eat.22654
2016

Attitudes toward anthropometric measurements in youth: The role of eating pathology.
Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement
Jennifer S. Coelho and Rachelle Pullmer and MacKenzie Robertson and Sheila Marshall and Pei-Yoong Lam
DOI: 10.1037/cbs0000047
2016

Thought-shape fusion in young healthy females appears after vivid imagination of thin ideals
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
Andrea Wyssen and Jennifer S. Coelho and Peter Wilhelm and Grégoire Zimmermann and Simone Munsch
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2016.03.010
09/2016

Male Youth With Eating Disorders: Clinical and Medical Characteristics of a Sample of Inpatients
Eating Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Aarti Kumar and Megan Kilvert and Lucinda Kunkel and Pei-Yoong Lam
DOI: 10.1080/10640266.2015.1027119
03/2015

Mandating weekly weight gain in a day treatment program for eating disorders
International Journal of Eating Disorders
Thaler, L. and Wilson, S. and Coelho, J.S. and Mazanek Antunes, J. and Israel, M. and Steiger, H.
DOI: 10.1002/eat.22246
2014

Over-evaluation of thoughts about food: Differences across eating-disorder subtypes and a preliminary examination of treatment effects
International Journal of Eating Disorders
Coelho, J.S. and Wilson, S. and Winslade, A. and Thaler, L. and Israel, M. and Steiger, H.
DOI: 10.1002/eat.22207
2014

Reactivity to thought-shape fusion in adolescents: the effects of obesity status
Pediatric Obesity
J. S. Coelho and M.-J. Siggen and P. Dietre and M. Bouvard
DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00121.x
01/2013

Cognitive distortions and eating pathology: Specificity of thought-shape fusion
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Coelho, J.S. and Baeyens, C. and Purdon, C. and Pitet, A. and Bouvard, M.
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2012.04.003
2012

Specificity of the failure to inhibit responses in overweight children
Appetite
Nederkoorn, C. and Coelho, J.S. and Guerrieri, R. and Houben, K. and Jansen, A.
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2012.05.028
2012

Exploring Family Care Journeys to Inform Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and Somatic Symptom Disorders
Cognitive and Behavioral Practice
Megan A. Young and Katelynn E. Boerner and Sheila Marshall and Amrit Dhariwal and Jennifer S. Coelho
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2024.01.002
02/2024

Psychometric properties of the Parent Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire
International Journal of Eating Disorders
Catherine R. Drury and Lisa Hail and Renee D. Rienecke and Erin C. Accurso and Jennifer S. Coelho and James Lock and Daniel Le Grange and Katharine L. Loeb
DOI: 10.1002/eat.23999
09/2023

The economic impact of eating disorders in children and youth in Canada: a call to action to improve youth eating disorder research and care
Journal of Eating Disorders
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00794-z
2023

Correction to: Parental experiences with their child’s eating disorder treatment journey
Journal of Eating Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Janet Suen and Sheila Marshall and Alex Burns and Pei-Yoong Lam and Josie Geller
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00625-7
12/2022

Treatment experiences of male and female youths with eating disorders
British Journal of Clinical Psychology
Jennifer S. Coelho and Janet Suen and Sheila Marshall and Haya Zaid-Alkailani and Josie Geller and Pei-Yoong Lam
DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12384
11/2022

Pediatric Avoidant-Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and gastrointestinal-related Somatic Symptom Disorders: Overlap in clinical presentation
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Katelynn E Boerner and Jennifer S Coelho and Fiza Syal and Deepika Bajaj and Natalie Finner and Amrit K Dhariwal
DOI: 10.1177/13591045211048170
04/2022

Prevalence of pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) in children and adolescents with eating disorders
Journal of Eating Disorders
Aman, M. and Coelho, J.S. and Lin, B. and Lu, C. and Westwell-Roper, C. and Best, J.R. and Stewart, S.E.
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00707-6
2022

Gender differences in symptom presentation and treatment outcome in children and youths with eating disorders
Journal of Eating Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Janet Suen and Sheila Marshall and Alex Burns and Josie Geller and Pei-Yoong Lam
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-021-00468-8
12/2021

Parental experiences with their child’s eating disorder treatment journey
Journal of Eating Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Janet Suen and Sheila Marshall and Alex Burns and Pei-Yoong Lam and Josie Geller
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-021-00449-x
12/2021

Gender Differences in Symptom Presentation and Treatment Outcome in Children and Youths With Eating Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Janet Suen and Sheila Marshall and Alex Burns and Josie Geller and Pei-Yoong Lam
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-754310/v1
07/2021

Parental Experiences with their Child’s Treatment Journey: The Road to Tertiary Level Pediatric Eating Disorder Treatment
Jennifer S. Coelho and Janet Suen and Sheila Marshall and Alex Burns and Pei-Yoong Lam and Josie Geller
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-435694/v1
05/2021

Health professionals' familiarity and experience with providing clinical care for pediatric avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder
International Journal of Eating Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Mark L. Norris and Stephen C. E. Tsai and Yuwei J. Wu and Pei-Yoong Lam
DOI: 10.1002/eat.23438
04/2021

Gender Differences in Symptom Presentation and Treatment Outcome in Children and Youths With Eating Disorders
ResearchSquare
Coelho, J.S. and Suen, J. and Marshall, S. and Burns, A. and Geller, J. and Lam, P.-Y.
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-754310
2021

The COVID-19 pandemic and eating disorders in children, adolescents, and emerging adults: virtual care recommendations from the Canadian consensus panel during COVID-19 and beyond
Journal of Eating Disorders
Couturier, J. and Pellegrini, D. and Miller, C. and Bhatnagar, N. and Boachie, A. and Bourret, K. and Brouwers, M. and Coelho, J.S. and Dimitropoulos, G. and Findlay, S. and Ford, C. and Geller, J. and Grewal, S. and Gusella, J. and Isserlin, L. and Jericho, M. and Johnson, N. and Katzman, D.K. and Kimber, M. and Lafrance, A. and Leclerc, A. and Loewen, R. and Loewen, T. and McVey, G. and Norris, M. and Pilon, D. and Preskow, W. and Spettigue, W. and Steinegger, C. and Waite, E. and Webb, C.
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-021-00394-9
2021

Trends in the Incidence of New-Onset Anorexia Nervosa and Atypical Anorexia Nervosa among Youth during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Canada
JAMA Network Open
Agostino, H. and Burstein, B. and Moubayed, D. and Taddeo, D. and Grady, R. and Vyver, E. and Dimitropoulos, G. and Dominic, A. and Coelho, J.S.
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.37395
2021

Perceived Occupational Performance in Youth with Eating Disorders: Treatment-Related Changes
Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy
Jennifer S. Coelho and Avarna Fernandes and Janet Suen and Adi Keidar and Jadine Cairns
DOI: 10.1177/0008417420953229
12/2020

A longitudinal examination of body-checking behaviors and eating disorder pathology in a community sample of adolescent males and females
International Journal of Eating Disorders
Shannon L. Zaitsoff and Rachelle Pullmer and Jennifer S. Coelho
DOI: 10.1002/eat.23364
11/2020

Cognitive and behavioral correlates of depressive symptoms in a community sample of adolescents
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Rachelle Pullmer and Shannon L Zaitsoff and Jennifer S Coelho
DOI: 10.1177/1359104519844803
01/2020

Residential treatment for eating disorders in a Canadian treatment centre: Clinical characteristics and treatment experiences of residents.
Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement
Kim D. Williams and Caitlin O'Reilly and Jennifer S. Coelho
DOI: 10.1037/cbs0000143
01/2020

Canadian practice guidelines for the treatment of children and adolescents with eating disorders
Journal of Eating Disorders
Couturier, J. and Isserlin, L. and Norris, M. and Spettigue, W. and Brouwers, M. and Kimber, M. and McVey, G. and Webb, C. and Findlay, S. and Bhatnagar, N. and Snelgrove, N. and Ritsma, A. and Preskow, W. and Miller, C. and Coelho, J. and Boachie, A. and Steinegger, C. and Loewen, R. and Loewen, T. and Waite, E. and Ford, C. and Bourret, K. and Gusella, J. and Geller, J. and Lafrance, A. and Leclerc, A. and Scarborough, J. and Grewal, S. and Jericho, M. and Dimitropoulos, G. and Pilon, D.
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-020-0277-8
2020

Body checking in pediatric eating and obsessive-compulsive disorders
Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Shannon L. Zaitsoff and Rachelle Pullmer and Diana Franco Yamin and Sarah Anderson and Avarna Fernandes and S. Evelyn Stewart
DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2019.100475
10/2019

Effectiveness of family-based treatment for pediatric eating disorders in a tertiary care setting.
Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology
Jennifer S. Coelho and Barbara Beach and Karina O'Brien and Sheila Marshall and Pei-Yoong Lam
DOI: 10.1037/cpp0000273
06/2019

Kindness begins with yourself: The role of self-compassion in adolescent body satisfaction and eating pathology.
The International journal of eating disorders
Pullmer R and Coelho JS and Zaitsoff SL
DOI: 10.1002/eat.23081
PubMed: 30977532
04/2019

Eating Disorder Diagnoses and Symptom Presentation in Transgender Youth: a Scoping Review
Current Psychiatry Reports
Coelho, J.S. and Suen, J. and Clark, B.A. and Marshall, S.K. and Geller, J. and Lam, P.-Y.
DOI: 10.1007/s11920-019-1097-x
2019

Self-Compassion and Eating Pathology in Female Adolescents with Eating Disorders: The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress
Mindfulness
Pullmer, R. and Zaitsoff, S.L. and Coelho, J.S.
DOI: 10.1007/s12671-019-01254-z
2019

Eating disorders in biological males: clinical presentation and consideration of sex differences in a pediatric sample
Journal of Eating Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Tiffany Lee and Priscilla Karnabi and Alex Burns and Sheila Marshall and Josie Geller and Pei-Yoong Lam
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-018-0226-y
12/2018

Relevance of the Thought-Shape Fusion Trait Questionnaire for healthy women and women presenting symptoms of eating disorders and mixed mental disorders
Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
Andrea Wyssen and Luka J. Debbeler and Andrea H. Meyer and Jennifer S. Coelho and Nadine Humbel and Kathrin Schuck and Julia Lennertz and Nadine Messerli-Bürgy and Stephan N. Trier and Bettina Isenschmid and Gabriella Milos and Hanspeter Flury and Silvia Schneider and Simone Munsch
DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2186
03/2018

The Short Treatment Allocation Tool for Eating Disorders: current practices in assigning patients to level of care
Journal of Eating Disorders
Josie Geller and Leanna Isserlin and Emily Seale and Megumi M. Iyar and Jennifer S. Coelho and Suja Srikameswaran and Mark Norris
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-018-0230-2
2018

Pinch, cinch or step: Evaluating the effectiveness and acceptability of mid upper arm circumference measurements in adolescents with eating disorders
Eating Behaviors
Pei-Yoong Lam and Sheila K. Marshall and Geetha Devi Harjit and Jennifer S. Coelho and Jadine Cairns
DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2016.03.023
08/2016

5. Eating disorders in adolescent males: clinical realities and current challenges
Handbook of nutrition and diet in therapy of bone diseases
M.E. Harrison and J. Coelho and M.L. Norris
DOI: 10.3920/978-90-8686-823-0_5
03/2016

Susceptibility to cognitive distortions: the role of eating pathology
Journal of Eating Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Catherine Ouellet-Courtois and Christine Purdon and Howard Steiger
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-015-0068-9
09/2015

Psychiatric Comorbidity in Diagnosis
The Wiley Handbook of Eating Disorders
Jennifer S. Coelho and Lea Thaler and Howard Steiger
DOI: 10.1002/9781118574089.ch15
07/2015

A Feeling You Can’t Let Go: Temporal Stability and Vulnerability to Thought–Shape Fusion in Eating Disorders
Cognitive Therapy and Research
Catherine Ouellet-Courtois and Jennifer S. Coelho and Adam S. Radomsky and Mimi Israël and Howard Steiger
DOI: 10.1007/s10608-015-9691-7
05/2015

Food for Thought: Ego-dystonicity and Fear of Self in Eating Disorders
European Eating Disorders Review
Magali Purcell Lalonde and Kieron O'Connor and Frederick Aardema and Jennifer S. Coelho
DOI: 10.1002/erv.2349
03/2015

Eating Disorders
Oxford Textbook of Psychopathology (3rd edition)
2014

Acute versus repeated chocolate exposure: Effects on intake and cravings in restrained and unrestrained eaters
Journal of Health Psychology
Coelho, J.S. and Nederkoorn, C. and Jansen, A.
DOI: 10.1177/1359105312473787
2014

Assessment of thought-shape fusion: Initial validation of a short version of the trait thought-shape fusion scale
International Journal of Eating Disorders
Coelho, J.S. and Baeyens, C. and Purdon, C. and Shafran, R. and Roulin, J.-L. and Bouvard, M.
DOI: 10.1002/eat.22038
2013

The role of cognitive factors in the development and maintenance of eating disorders - The concept of thought shape fusion:
Verhaltenstherapie
Coelho, J.S.
DOI: 10.1159/000312565
2012

Eating Disorders
Abnormal Psychology: Perspectives (5th Edition)
2012

Pre-exposure to high- versus low-caloric foods: Effects on children's subsequent fruit intake
Eating Behaviors
Coelho, J.S. and van den Akker, K. and Nederkoorn, C. and Jansen, A.
DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2011.11.004
2012

Cognitive distortions in normal-weight and overweight women: Susceptibility to Thought-Shape Fusion
Cognitive Therapy and Research
Coelho, J.S. and Jansen, A. and Bouvard, M.
DOI: 10.1007/s10608-011-9372-0
2012

Effects of exercising before versus after eating on dieting and exercise evaluations: A preliminary investigation.
Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement
Jennifer Coelho and Anne Roefs and Remco Havermans and Sarah-Jeanne Salvy and Anita Jansen
DOI: 10.1037/a0021736
01/2011

Sweet temptation: Effects of exposure to chocolate-scented lotion on food intake
Food Quality and Preference
Coelho, J.S. and Idler, A. and Werle, C.O.C. and Jansen, A.
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2011.06.008
2011

The role of food-cue exposure and negative affect in the experience of thought-shape fusion
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
Coelho, J.S. and Roefs, A. and Jansen, A.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2010.04.004
2010

Eating Disorders
Abnormal Psychology: Perspectives (4th Edition)
2010

Inaccessible food cues affect stress and weight gain in calorically-restricted and ad lib fed rats
Appetite
Coelho, J.S. and Polivy, J. and Fleming, A. and Hargreaves, D. and Herman, C.P. and Lao, G.
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2009.12.003
2010

Wake up and smell the cookies. Effects of olfactory food-cue exposure in restrained and unrestrained eaters
Appetite
Coelho, J.S. and Polivy, J. and Peter Herman, C. and Pliner, P.
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2008.10.008
2009

Eating behavior in response to food-cue exposure: Examining the cue-reactivity and counteractive-control models.
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
Jennifer S. Coelho and Anita Jansen and Anne Roefs and Chantal Nederkoorn
DOI: 10.1037/a0013610
2009

Effects of food-cue exposure on dieting-related goals: A limitation to counteractive-control theory
Appetite
Jennifer S. Coelho and Janet Polivy and C. Peter Herman and Patricia Pliner
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2008.04.001
09/2008

The role of familiarity on modeling of eating and food consumption in children
Appetite
Sarah-Jeanne Salvy and Lenny R. Vartanian and Jennifer S. Coelho and Denise Jarrin and Patricia P. Pliner
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2007.10.009
03/2008

Caloric restriction in the presence of attractive food cues: External cues, eating, and weight
Physiology and Behavior
Polivy, J. and Herman, C.P. and Coelho, J.S.
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.04.010
2008

"Just looking at food makes me gain weight": Experimental induction of thought-shape fusion in eating-disordered and non-eating-disordered women
Behaviour Research and Therapy
Coelho, J.S. and Carter, J.C. and McFarlane, T. and Polivy, J.
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2007.11.004
2008

Effects of social contexts on overweight and normal-weight children's food intake
Physiology & Behavior
Sarah-Jeanne Salvy and Jennifer S. Coelho and Elizabeth Kieffer and Leonard H. Epstein
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.06.014
2007

Eating Disorders and Drug and Alcohol Problems
Clinical handbook of co-existing mental health and drug and alcohol problems
2007

Selective carbohydrate or protein restriction: Effects on subsequent food intake and cravings
Appetite
Coelho, J.S. and Polivy, J. and Herman, C.P.
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2006.05.015
2006

Eating Disorders
Abnormal Psychology: Perspectives (3rd Edition)
2006

Anorexia Nervosa
Encyclopedia of Human Development
2006

Chronic Dieting and Eating Behaviour
Comparative Program on Health and Society Lupina Foundation Wor king Paper Series
2006

Research

Effectiveness of a Day Treatment Program for Pediatric Eating Disorders
The Day Treatment Program at BC Children’s Hospital offers highly-structured, group-based treatment for children and adolescents requiring tertiary care for an eating disorder. It addresses the needs of youth requiring intensive care by providing a more structured environment than that offered in the out-patient clinic, while integrating principles of family-based therapy and providing youth and families with the opportunity to apply skills in the community. We are evaluating changes in eating disorder symptoms, psychological functioning, and well-being of youth with eating disorders who attend the Day Treatment Program at BC Children's Hospital. We are also assessing changes in family functioning over the course of treatment in the Day Treatment Program.

Clinical Features and Treatment Outcome in Male Youth with Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are stereotypically known as a “female” disease. However, a significant minority of individuals seeking treatment for eating disorders is male, and gender distribution in early-onset eating disorders appears to be more even across males and females. Yet, the majority of research focuses on female populations, and the literature on eating disorders in male youth is particularly limited. This project was designed to address the need for additional research on male youth with eating disorders, and to elucidate knowledge about the clinical and medical characteristics of this group in relation to female youth. As part of this project, we will (1) identify the clinical characteristics of a large sample of male youth who have received treatment over the past decade; and (2) compare changes in eating pathology, well-being, and physical status over the course of intensive eating disorder treatment in male youth with a matched female comparison group.

Project support from the Swiss Anorexia Nervosa Foundation.

Grants

2012-2015 -Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant. Project Title

The role of embodied cognition. Co-investigators

Clinical Features and Treatment Outcome. Co-investigators

Christine Purdon & Howard Steiger

2015-2018 -Swiss Anorexia Nervosa Foundation Research Grant. Project Title

Male Youth with Eating Disorders

Pei-Yoong Lam, Sheila Marshall, Josie Geller

Vulnerability to bizarre beliefs

Research Group Members

Daria Hammond, Research Assistant
Sharon Hou, Psychologist, Postdoctoral Fellow
Tanya Pardiwala, Research Coordinator
Lara Radovic
Orli Sacks Hellerstein, Research Assistant
Janet Suen, Research Assistant
Audrey Tung, BC Eating Disorders Cluster Coordinator
Megan Young, Clinical Research Trainee