TY - JOUR
T1 - General practitioner and mental healthcare use in a community sample of people with diagnostic threshold symptoms of bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and other eating disorders
AU - Hay, Phillipa
AU - Ghabrial, Brittany
AU - Mannan, Haider
AU - Conti, Janet
AU - Gonzalez‐Chica, David
AU - Stocks, Nigel
AU - Heriseanu, Andreea
AU - Touyz, Stephen
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Objective: Lengthy delays in receiving treatment have been reported for people with bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge‐eating disorder (BED). This study aimed to investigate healthcare use and predictors of mental health specialist healthcare use in a community sample of individuals with diagnostic threshold symptoms of BN, BED‐Broad, or another eating disorder (Other ED). Method: In 2017, 2,977 individuals aged ≥15 years were interviewed in a general population survey. Participants were asked questions relating to sociodemographic, ED symptoms, other clinical features, and healthcare use data. Assessment of ED symptoms was based on diagnostic questions derived from the eating disorder examination. Results: Thirty‐six participants with symptoms of BN, 33 participants with BED‐Broad, and 369 with an Other ED were identified. Fewer people with symptoms of BN/BED‐Broad (23%) or an Other ED (6%) had treatment from a mental health specialist than from a general practitioner (GP; 80%, 71.6%). Healthcare use differed significantly across type of ED only for treatment from a mental health specialist. In multivariate analyses, being asked about a person's mental health by a GP was the best explanatory variable for receiving treatment from a mental health specialist. Discussion: A large treatment gap exists in healthcare for people with EDs. Inquiry about an individual's mental health by a GP was associated with higher rates of treatment from mental health specialists. However, a similar diet/eating inquiry did not have this association. Future research should consider the use of this patient and practitioner consultation in targeting improved detection of EDs.
AB - Objective: Lengthy delays in receiving treatment have been reported for people with bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge‐eating disorder (BED). This study aimed to investigate healthcare use and predictors of mental health specialist healthcare use in a community sample of individuals with diagnostic threshold symptoms of BN, BED‐Broad, or another eating disorder (Other ED). Method: In 2017, 2,977 individuals aged ≥15 years were interviewed in a general population survey. Participants were asked questions relating to sociodemographic, ED symptoms, other clinical features, and healthcare use data. Assessment of ED symptoms was based on diagnostic questions derived from the eating disorder examination. Results: Thirty‐six participants with symptoms of BN, 33 participants with BED‐Broad, and 369 with an Other ED were identified. Fewer people with symptoms of BN/BED‐Broad (23%) or an Other ED (6%) had treatment from a mental health specialist than from a general practitioner (GP; 80%, 71.6%). Healthcare use differed significantly across type of ED only for treatment from a mental health specialist. In multivariate analyses, being asked about a person's mental health by a GP was the best explanatory variable for receiving treatment from a mental health specialist. Discussion: A large treatment gap exists in healthcare for people with EDs. Inquiry about an individual's mental health by a GP was associated with higher rates of treatment from mental health specialists. However, a similar diet/eating inquiry did not have this association. Future research should consider the use of this patient and practitioner consultation in targeting improved detection of EDs.
KW - bulimia
KW - compulsive eating
KW - eating disorders
KW - medical care
KW - physicians (general practice)
KW - therapeutics
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:53141
U2 - 10.1002/eat.23174
DO - 10.1002/eat.23174
M3 - Article
SN - 0276-3478
VL - 53
SP - 61
EP - 68
JO - International Journal of Eating Disorders
JF - International Journal of Eating Disorders
IS - 1
ER -