The Potential of Small Effects at the Right Time, on a Large Scale: Commentary on Linardon et al. (2025).

Abstract

The meta-analysis of self-help intervention for eating disorders (ED) by Linardon and colleagues showed significant, albeit small, effects favoring self-help over the control condition on depression, anxiety, distress, and self-esteem. Despite modest effect sizes, pure self-help offers the potential for high accessibility at low cost, which may lead to a meaningful impact on public health in terms of mental health symptoms that are often co-occurring with ED. There are opportunities to present and package pure self-help in more creative ways than what is currently available (e.g., by integrating brief instructional and experiential videos, infographics, storytelling, and compelling patient narratives). To fully harness the potential of pure self-help, disruptive innovations are necessary in both the packaging and delivery methods. These innovations can help to accommodate various needs, learning styles, and preferred delivery formats. A consortium dedicated to pure self-help for symptoms of ED and its prevention can play a vital role in testing, delivering, collecting big data, understanding moderators of outcomes, and facilitating adaptation and further development, thereby improving access to these interventions and leading to better mental health.