FREED is designed to give young people rapid access to specialised evidence-based treatment and support tailored to their needs.
FREED is First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders. It is a service for 16 to 25-year-olds who have had an eating disorder for three years or less.
Young people getting help for their eating disorder through FREED are given rapid access to specialised treatment which gives special attention to challenges we know young people face during these years of their life, and in the early stages of an eating disorder.
FREED is a flexible evidence-based treatment approach focused on early intervention; making it much more effective than traditional treatments at reversing the changes to brain, body and behaviour caused by eating disorders.
The FREED service was developed and tested by the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust Foundation’s Eating Disorders Unit and King’s College London. When FREED was compared with “business as usual”, FREED reduced the amount of time an eating disorder was left untreated. FREED patients waited less time for assessment and treatment and had better treatment outcomes. Most made a full recovery from their eating disorder within one year. Using the FREED service was a positive experience for patients, carers and staff.
FREED confirmed that treating people as early as possible leads to better results for eating disorder treatment.
In 2016, FREED was introduced to three new eating disorder services in the UK. In 2018, FREED is being introduced to eight new services. By 2020, we hope that at least 20 services will be using FREED. Work is also being done to establish FREED in Australia.
People sometimes ask why FREED is only for those aged 16 to 25 with an eating disorder of up to three years. If someone has only been unwell for a short time treatment seems to work better. This is most true during adolescence and young adulthood. People with eating disorders also experience changes to their brain, body and behaviour. In the first three years of illness these changes are more easily reversed.
Eventually, we hope that everyone with an eating disorder will be able to access tailored, specialist treatment quickly. FREED is one step towards this goal.
“If it wasn’t for FREED’s rapid intervention, I would not have been well enough to pursue my dream of going to university. It makes me emotional to think how much my life has changed in one year of treatment. The steps have been small, but each step has brought me closer to, as well as made me feel I am worth, recovery.”
FREED service user
Professor of Eating Disorders (King's College London), Consultant Psychiatrist & FREED Executive Director (Maudsley)
FREED National Head & Consultant Psychotherapist (Maudsley)
FREED Consultant Clinical Psychologist (Maudsley) & Visiting Senior Lecturer (King's College London)
FREED National Co-lead & Senior Counselling Psychologist (Maudsley)
FREED National Co-lead, EDSA Deputy Curriculum Lead & Eating Disorders Therapist (Maudsley)
FREED PhD Student (King's College London)
FREED PhD Student (King's College London) & Counselling Psychologist
FREED National Assistant Psychologist (Maudsley)
Psychological Therapies Team Lead (St Ann's)
Senior CBT Therapist & FREED Champion (St. Ann's)
Trainee Counselling Psychologist & FREED Champion (St Ann's)
Occupational Therapist & FREED Champion (CNWL)
Clinical Nurse Specialist & FREED Champion (CNWL)
Counselling Psychologist & FREED Champion (ELFT)
Counselling Psychologist & FREED Champion (ELFT)
Counsellor & FREED Champion (SET CAMHS EDS, Essex)
Senior Specialist Nurse & FREED Champion (Kent & Medway)
CBT Therapist & FREED Champion (SLaM)
Counselling Psychologist & FREED Champion (South-West London & St George's)
Clinical Psychologist & FREED Champion (West London)
Principal Clinical Psychologist / Clinical Lead (West London)
Advanced Practitioner & FREED Champion (Cambridge)
Senior Eating Disorders Nurse & FREED Champion (Great Yarmouth & Waveney)
FREED Champion & Occupational Therapist (North East & West Essex)
Senior Eating Disorders Practitioner & FREED Coordinator (South Essex)
Trainee CB Therapist/FREED Coordinator (Birmingham & Solihull)
Clinical Psychologist & FREED Champion (Birmingham)
FREED Champion (Black Country)
Team Manager/Nurse Therapist & FREED Champion (Derbyshire)
Eating Disorders Therapist & FREED Champion (Leicestershire)
Trainee Clinical Associate Psychologist & FREED Champion (Leicestershire)
Senior Eating Disorders Practitioner & FREED Co-ordinator (Lincolnshire)
Nurse Specialist & FREED Co-ordinator (Lincolnshire CAMHS)
FREED Champion (North East Lincolnshire)
Senior Counselling Psychologist & FREED Champion (Northamptonshire)
FREED Champion (Northamptonshire)
Specialist Mental Health Practitioner & FREED Pathway Lead (Nottinghamshire)
Advanced Practitioner & FREED Champion (North Staffordshire)
Nurse Therapist & FREED Champion (Midlands)
Specialist Eating Disorder Nurse & FREED Champion (Northumberland)
Senior Eating Disorders Practitioner & FREED Champion (North Cumbria)
Specialist Eating Disorder Nurse & FREED Champion (Leeds & York)
Clinical Specialist Practitioner & FREED Champion (Leeds & York)
Senior Eating Disorders Practitioner & FREED Champion (Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys)
Clinical Lead (Hull)
Eating Disorder Family Practitioner & FREED Champion (Hull)
Senior Eating Disorder Practitioner & FREED Coordinator (Cheshire & Wirral)
Nurse Practitioner & FREED Practitioner (Chester)
FREED Practitioner (Macclesfield)
Eating Disorders Practitioner & FREED Practitioner (Warrington & Halton)
FREED Practitioner (Trafford)
FREED Eating Disorder Practitioner (Bolton)
Clinical Psychologist/FREED Champion (Greater Manchester/Salford)
Psychological Therapist & FREED Champion (Manchester)
CBT Therapist & FREED Lead (Stockport)
FREED Champion & Clinical Psychologist (Liverpool & Sefton)
FREED Champion & Specialist Nurse (Liverpool)
Clinical Psychologist & FREED Champion (Liverpool & Sefton)
Senior Nurse Practitioner (Knowsley & St Helens)
Mental Health Social Worker/Psychological Therapist & FREED Champion (Berkshire)
Occupational Therapist & FREED Champion (Buckinghamshire)
Clinical Lead Nurse & FREED Champion (Oxford)
Clinical Nurse Specialist & FREED Champion (Oxfordshire)
Consultant Nurse Practitioner & FREED Champion (Wiltshire)
Principal Clinical Psychologist & FREED Champion (Southern Health)
Clinical Psychologist & FREED Champion (Hampshire)
CBT Therapist & FREED Champion (Surrey)
Mental Health Practitioner & FREED Champion (Surrey & Borders)
Clinical Psychologist & FREED Champion (Sussex)
Occupational Therapist & FREED Champion (Avon And Wiltshire)
Clinical Psychologist & FREED Clinical Lead (Devon)
Senior Eating Disorder Practitioner & FREED Champion (Gloucestershire)
Clinical Lead & FREED Champion (Plymouth)
FREED Champion & Occupational Therapist (Cornwall)
Psychological Therapist & FREED Champion (Somerset)
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