Ms Sarah Barakat
InsideOut Institute
Sydney Medical School
Central Clinical School
Faculty of Medicine and Health
Dr Sarah Barakat is Postdoctoral Research Associate at the InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders. As part of Sarah's PhD, she led a multisite randomised controlled trial of a digital psychological intervention for Bulimia Nervosa. Since completing her PhD in early 2023, Sarah has been involved in a range of implementation activities to support the translation of evidence-based digital interventions into real-world treatment settings. Sarah leads the research and evaluation of the InsideOut Institute's eClinic - an online treatment platform deliverying digital therapies to people with an eating disorder. Sarah is also a Clinical Psychologist, experienced in the delivery of individual and group psychological treatments across outpatient, community and private settings.
Sarah holds a special interest in eating disorders and seeks to understand ways to increase both the efficacy of and accessibility to evidence-based treatments. Sarah is interested in mechanistic questions of change in psychotherapy interventions and how we might be able to leverage therapeutic adjuncts or sophisticated statistical and digital technologies to develop idiographic, personalised treatments.
2023-present: Co-Chair, Digital Special Interest Group, Academy for Eating Disorders
2019-2021: Co-Chair, Early Career Researcher Special Interest GroupAustralia and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders
2017-present: Member, Academy of Eating Disorders
2017-present: Member, Australia and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders
2017-present: Member, Australian Psychological Society
2023: Rachel Bryant Waugh Excellence in Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders Award, London Eating Disorder Conference
2022: Peter Beumont Young Investigator Award, Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders
2022: Top Abstract Finalist, Eating Disorder Research Society, USA
2020: Emerging Researcher Prize eHealth@Sydney
2018-2021: Research Training Program Scholarship, Faculty of Science, USYD
Publications
Journals
- Barakat, S., Burton, A., Cunich, M., Hay, P., Hazelton, J., Kim, M., Lymer, S., Madden, S., Maloney, D., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Rogers, D., Russell, J., Touyz, S., Maguire, S., et al (2023). A randomised controlled trial of clinician supported vs self-help delivery of online cognitive behaviour therapy for Bulimia Nervosa. Psychiatry Research, 329, 115534. [More Information]
- Barakat, S., Maguire, S. (2023). Accessibility of Psychological Treatments for Bulimia Nervosa: A Review of Efficacy and Engagement in Online Self-Help Treatments. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1). [More Information]
- Koreshe, E., Paxton, S., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Bryant, E., Le, A., Maloney, D., Touyz, S., Maguire, S., Aouad, P., Barakat, S., Boakes, R., Carroll, B., Caterson, I., Dammery, G., Dzajkovski, N., Firriolo, A., et al (2023). Prevention and early intervention in eating disorders: findings from a rapid review. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1). [More Information]
2023
- Barakat, S., Burton, A., Cunich, M., Hay, P., Hazelton, J., Kim, M., Lymer, S., Madden, S., Maloney, D., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Rogers, D., Russell, J., Touyz, S., Maguire, S., et al (2023). A randomised controlled trial of clinician supported vs self-help delivery of online cognitive behaviour therapy for Bulimia Nervosa. Psychiatry Research, 329, 115534. [More Information]
- Barakat, S., Maguire, S. (2023). Accessibility of Psychological Treatments for Bulimia Nervosa: A Review of Efficacy and Engagement in Online Self-Help Treatments. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1). [More Information]
- Koreshe, E., Paxton, S., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Bryant, E., Le, A., Maloney, D., Touyz, S., Maguire, S., Aouad, P., Barakat, S., Boakes, R., Carroll, B., Caterson, I., Dammery, G., Dzajkovski, N., Firriolo, A., et al (2023). Prevention and early intervention in eating disorders: findings from a rapid review. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1). [More Information]
2022
- Rom, S., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Barakat, S., Aouad, P., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Maguire, S. (2022). Evaluating the feasibility and potential efficacy of a brief eTherapy for binge-eating disorder: A pilot study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 55(11), 1614-1620. [More Information]
2021
- Barakat, S., Touyz, S., Maloney, D., Russell, J., Hay, P., Cunich, M., Lymer, S., Kim, M., Madden, S., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Maguire, S. (2021). Supported online cognitive behavioural therapy for bulimia nervosa: a study protocol of a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Eating Disorders, 9(1), 126. [More Information]
2019
- Barakat, S., Maguire, S., Smith, K., Mason, T., Crosby, R., Touyz, S. (2019). Evaluating the role of digital intervention design in treatment outcomes and adherence to eTherapy programs for eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52(10), 1077-1094. [More Information]
2017
- Barakat, S., Maguire, S., Surgenor, L., Donnelly, B., Miceska, B., Fromholtz, K., Russell, J., Hay, P., Touyz, S. (2017). The Role of Regular Eating and Self-Monitoring in the Treatment of Bulimia Nervosa: A Pilot Study of an Online Guided Self-Help CBT Program. Behavioral Sciences, 7(3), 1-17. [More Information]
Selected Grants
2024
- Moving toward individual-level treatment approaches: A pilot evaluation of a personalised digital intervention for eating disorders, Barakat S, Brain and Mind Centre/Engagement Collaborative Grants
- Understanding mechanisms driving obesity, Barakat S, Charles Perkins Centre/Early-Mid Career Researcher Seed Funding Grant