scholarly journals Food for thought: A dissonance between healthcare utilization costs and research funding for eating disorders in Canada

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayla Stone ◽  
Gina Dimitropoulos ◽  
Frank MacMaster

In this commentary, we present the premise that, in Canada, mental illness research specific to eating disorders is predominantly underfunded, and many Canadians are suffering the consequences of it. We highlight three main drivers underlying this issue: 1) the increasingly common yet potentially life-threatening nature of eating disorders, with an onset usually during adolescence; 2) the challenges and costs to treating eating disorders, with a discussion of current hospital-related costs across Canada; and 3) the glaring discrepancy between the money spent on eating disorder diagnoses/treatment and the funding dollars granted for eating disorder research in Canada (i.e. only $0.70 per affected Canadian in 2018). Research funding per affected individual for other psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions are used as comparisons (e.g. $50.17 per affected Canadian with schizophrenia). We suggest that it is time to revolutionize treatment for individuals with eating disorders and use our resources in a more efficient and effective manner, using current neuroimaging and neuromodulation methods as promising examples. We conclude by emphasizing the need for increased research funding in the field of eating disorders in Canada, as the current research-related investments hinder progress in developing neuroscientifically-sound treatments for these populations.

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 356-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Figueras Bates

Abstract Narratives of severe mental illness can be regarded as the discursive efforts of a healthy self to restore a sense of selfhood disrupted by the illness. Focusing on a sample of 87 unsolicited online illness narratives of eating disorders in Spanish, this article explores how narrators deployed evidential constructions introduced by the perception verb “ver” (to see) to manage identity in the autobiographical telling. The analysis revealed that “ver” indexed information as coming from different sources (perception, mental states, inference). This evidential material was discursively evaluated (via the adoption of a specific epistemic stance) and applied to construe conflicting versions of self in the eating disorder narratives. Resorting to the evidential marking, narrators could rhetorically negotiate the transition from their perceptual self, created during the illness, to their cognitive self, elaborated in the recovery.


Author(s):  
Emily Williams ◽  
Shelly Russell-Mayhew ◽  
Alana Ireland

Disclosing a mental illness can be difficult, especially for those affected by eating disorders. Individuals impacted by eating disorders often worry that disclosing their situation may lead to fear, judgment, and stigmatization. Online eating disorder communities have become increasingly popular, hosting thousands of users worldwide, and may be safe places for individuals with eating disorders to communicate and connect. In this postmodern study, we utilized situational analysis to examine online accounts on publically accessible websites where individuals discussed disclosing eating disorders. Situational Analysis utilizes illustrative mapping techniques to demonstrate the complexity of the situation of inquiry, allowing researchers to highlight heterogeneities. Our findings demonstrated (a) the fight that frequently occurs after an eating disorder disclosure, (b) the notion that eating disorders are a monstrous issue, and (c) stigmatization one experiences after disclosing and when considering to disclose. This study has potential to inform educational recommendations given to the public about disclosures and stigma in regard to eating disorders, as well as earlier identification and treatment outcomes for individuals with eating disorders.


2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Elosua ◽  
Alicia López-Jáuregui

In this study the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 was adapted to Spanish and analyzed the internal psychometric properties of the test in a clinical sample of females with eating disorders. The results showed a high internal consistency of the scores as well as high temporal stability. The factor structure of the scale composites was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. The results supported the existence of a second-order structure beyond the psychological composites. The second-order factor showed high correlation with the factor related to eating disorders. Overall, the Spanish version of the EDI-3 showed good psychometric qualities in terms of internal consistency, temporal stability and internal structure.


Author(s):  
Susan McElroy ◽  
Anna I. Guerdjikova ◽  
Nicole Mori ◽  
Paul E. Keck

This chapter addresses the pharmacotherapy of the eating disorders (EDs). Many persons with EDs receive pharmacotherapy, but pharmacotherapy research for EDs has lagged behind that for other major mental disorders. This chapter first provides a brief rationale for using medications in the treatment of EDs. It then reviews the data supporting the effectiveness of specific medications or medication classes in treating patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and other potentially important EDs, such as night eating syndrome (NES). It concludes by summarizing these data and suggesting future areas for research in the pharmacotherapy of EDs.


Author(s):  
Pamela Keel

The epidemiology of eating disorders holds important clues for understanding factors that may contribute to their etiology. In addition, epidemiological findings speak to the public health significance of these deleterious syndromes. Information on course and outcome are important for clinicians to understand the prognosis associated with different disorders of eating and for treatment planning. This chapter reviews information on the epidemiology and course of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and two forms of eating disorder not otherwise specified, binge eating disorder and purging disorder.


Author(s):  
Kathryn H. Gordon ◽  
Jill M. Holm-Denoma ◽  
Ross D. Crosby ◽  
Stephen A. Wonderlich

The purpose of the chapter is to elucidate the key issues regarding the classification of eating disorders. To this end, a review of nosological research in the area of eating disorders is presented, with a particular focus on empirically based techniques such as taxometric and latent class analysis. This is followed by a section outlining areas of overlap between the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) eating disorder categories and their symptoms. Next, eating disorder classification models that are alternatives to the DSM-IV-TR are described and critically examined in light of available empirical data. Finally, areas of controversy and considerations for change in next version of the DSM (i.e., the applicability of DSM criteria to minority groups, children, males; the question of whether clinical categories should be differentiated from research categories) are discussed.


Author(s):  
Susan L. McElroy ◽  
Anna I. Guerdjikova ◽  
Anne M. O’Melia ◽  
Nicole Mori ◽  
Paul E. Keck

Many persons with eating disorders (EDs) receive pharmacotherapy, but pharmacotherapy research for EDs has lagged behind that for other major mental disorders. In this chapter, we first provide a brief rationale for using medications in the treatment of EDs. We then review the data supporting the effectiveness of specific medications or medication classes in treating patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder (BED), and other potentially important EDs, such as night eating syndrome (NES) and sleep-related eating disorder (SRED). We conclude by summarizing these data and suggesting future areas for research in the pharmacotherapy of EDs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsurou Yamada ◽  
Fujika Katsuki ◽  
Masaki Kondo ◽  
Hanayo Sawada ◽  
Norio Watanabe ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Although caregivers of patients with eating disorders usually experience a heavy caregiving burden, the effects of social support on caregivers of patients with eating disorders are unknown. This study aimed to investigate how social support for mothers who are caregivers of patients with an eating disorder improves the mothers’ mental status and, consequently, the symptoms and status of the patients. Methods Fifty-seven pairs of participants were recruited from four family self-help groups and one university hospital in Japan. Recruitment was conducted from July 2017 to August 2018. Mothers were evaluated for social support using the Japanese version of the Social Provisions Scale-10 item (SPS-10), self-efficacy using the General Self-Efficacy Scale, loneliness using the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, listening attitude using the Active Listening Attitude Scale, family functioning using the Family Assessment Device, depression symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (Second Edition), and psychological distress using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Patients were evaluated for self-esteem using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, assertion using the Youth Assertion Scale, and their symptoms using the Eating Disorder Inventory. We divided the mothers and patients into two groups based on the mean score of the SPS-10 of mothers and compared the status of mothers and patients between the high- and low-scoring groups. Results High social support for mothers of patients with eating disorders was significantly associated with lower scores for loneliness and depression of these mothers. We found no significant differences in any patient scores based on mothers’ level of social support. Conclusions For patients with eating disorders, social support for a caregiver cannot be expected to improve their symptoms, but it may help prevent caregiver depression and loneliness.


2021 ◽  
pp. 103985622110286
Author(s):  
Tracey Wade ◽  
Jamie-Lee Pennesi ◽  
Yuan Zhou

Objective: Currently eligibility for expanded Medicare items for eating disorders (excluding anorexia nervosa) require a score ⩾ 3 on the 22-item Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q). We compared these EDE-Q “cases” with continuous scores on a validated 7-item version of the EDE-Q (EDE-Q7) to identify an EDE-Q7 cut-off commensurate to 3 on the EDE-Q. Methods: We utilised EDE-Q scores of female university students ( N = 337) at risk of developing an eating disorder. We used a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to assess the relationship between the true-positive rate (sensitivity) and the false-positive rate (1-specificity) of cases ⩾ 3. Results: The area under the curve showed outstanding discrimination of 0.94 (95% CI: .92–.97). We examined two specific cut-off points on the EDE-Q7, which included 100% and 87% of true cases, respectively. Conclusion: Given the EDE-Q cut-off for Medicare is used in conjunction with other criteria, we suggest using the more permissive EDE-Q7 cut-off (⩾2.5) to replace use of the EDE-Q cut-off (⩾3) in eligibility assessments.


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