TY - JOUR
T1 - Help-seeking for body image problems among adolescents with eating disorders : findings from the EveryBODY study
AU - Fatt, Scott J.
AU - Mond, Jonathan
AU - Bussey, Kay
AU - Griffiths, Scott
AU - Murray, Stuart B.
AU - Lonergan, Alexandra
AU - Hay, Phillipa
AU - Trompeter, Nora
AU - Mitchison, Deborah
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Purpose: Little is known regarding correlates of help-seeking for a body image problem in adolescents with an eating disorder. This study provides the first population-based investigation of help-seeking correlates among adolescents with an eating disorder. Methods: Australian adolescents (N = 1002, 75.5% female, mean age = 15.14, SD = 1.40) who met operational diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder completed a survey assessing help-seeking, and potential correlates of help-seeking (sex, age, body mass index, socio-economic status, migrant status, sexuality, eating disorder diagnosis, psychological distress, and quality of life). Results: Only 10.1% of participants reported having sought help. Bivariate analyses revealed that increased likelihood of help-seeking was associated with female sex, sexual minority status, being born outside Australia, older age, having a major eating disorder (compared to having an unspecified or other specified feeding or other eating disorder diagnosis), higher psychological distress, and reduced psychological and social functioning. Older age, being born outside of Australia, and having a major eating disorder were significant independent correlates of help-seeking. Conclusions: Very few adolescents with an eating disorder seek help for a body image problem. Promoting early, appropriate help-seeking among those who are younger and/or those with less well-known disorders may be particularly important. Level of Evidence: Level III, case-control analytic study.
AB - Purpose: Little is known regarding correlates of help-seeking for a body image problem in adolescents with an eating disorder. This study provides the first population-based investigation of help-seeking correlates among adolescents with an eating disorder. Methods: Australian adolescents (N = 1002, 75.5% female, mean age = 15.14, SD = 1.40) who met operational diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder completed a survey assessing help-seeking, and potential correlates of help-seeking (sex, age, body mass index, socio-economic status, migrant status, sexuality, eating disorder diagnosis, psychological distress, and quality of life). Results: Only 10.1% of participants reported having sought help. Bivariate analyses revealed that increased likelihood of help-seeking was associated with female sex, sexual minority status, being born outside Australia, older age, having a major eating disorder (compared to having an unspecified or other specified feeding or other eating disorder diagnosis), higher psychological distress, and reduced psychological and social functioning. Older age, being born outside of Australia, and having a major eating disorder were significant independent correlates of help-seeking. Conclusions: Very few adolescents with an eating disorder seek help for a body image problem. Promoting early, appropriate help-seeking among those who are younger and/or those with less well-known disorders may be particularly important. Level of Evidence: Level III, case-control analytic study.
KW - body image
KW - eating disorders
KW - help-seeking behavior
KW - teenagers
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:52449
U2 - 10.1007/s40519-019-00759-9
DO - 10.1007/s40519-019-00759-9
M3 - Article
SN - 1124-4909
VL - 25
SP - 1267
EP - 1275
JO - Eating and Weight Disorders
JF - Eating and Weight Disorders
ER -