TY - JOUR
T1 - Barriers to help-seeking in young women with eating disorders
T2 - A qualitative exploration in a longitudinal community survey
AU - Evans, Elizabeth J.
AU - Hay, Phillipa J.
AU - Mond, Jonathan
AU - Paxton, Susan J.
AU - Quirk, Frances
AU - Rodgers, Bryan
AU - Jhajj, Atiranjan K.
AU - Sawoniewska, Marta A.
PY - 2011/5
Y1 - 2011/5
N2 - Few with eating disorders (EDs) access evidence-based treatments. We conducted a prospective exploration of help-seeking by 57 community women with bulimic-type EDs using the Framework approach of familiarization, identifying themes, indexing, charting and mapping and interpretation. The mean age of the sample was 33 years. Results found women sought help for concerns regarding perceived (over) weight rather than for eating, although many women would have welcomed questions from professionals regarding eating behaviours. Empathy, providing information and hope were considered important features of health professionals to provide a positive experience of help-seeking. Specific personal barriers to treatment included low motivation, fear of stigma, and cost. Greater clinician and community awareness of and action on these issues would likely help close "the gap" for effective help-seeking by those with EDs.
AB - Few with eating disorders (EDs) access evidence-based treatments. We conducted a prospective exploration of help-seeking by 57 community women with bulimic-type EDs using the Framework approach of familiarization, identifying themes, indexing, charting and mapping and interpretation. The mean age of the sample was 33 years. Results found women sought help for concerns regarding perceived (over) weight rather than for eating, although many women would have welcomed questions from professionals regarding eating behaviours. Empathy, providing information and hope were considered important features of health professionals to provide a positive experience of help-seeking. Specific personal barriers to treatment included low motivation, fear of stigma, and cost. Greater clinician and community awareness of and action on these issues would likely help close "the gap" for effective help-seeking by those with EDs.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79956103072&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10640266.2011.566152
DO - 10.1080/10640266.2011.566152
M3 - Article
SN - 1064-0266
VL - 19
SP - 270
EP - 285
JO - Eating Disorders
JF - Eating Disorders
IS - 3
ER -