Who Should Be at the Treatment Table? College Students With Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues

AbstractEating disorders are associated with one of the highest mortality rates among all mental disorders, yet there is very little research about them within the newly emerging and promising field of computational psychiatry. As such, we focus on investigating a previously unexplored, yet a core aspect of eating disorders – body image preoccupation. We continue a freshly opened debate about model-based learning in eating disorders and perform a study that utilises a two-step decision-making task and a reinforcement learning model to understand the effect of body image preoccupation on model-based learning in a subclinical eating disorder population, as recruited using Prolific. We find a significantly reduced model-based contribution in the body image disturbance task condition in the eating disorder group as compared to a healthy control. We propose a new digital biomarker that significantly predicts disordered eating, and body image issues.

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Eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction among college students

ConScientiae Saúde ◽

10.5585/conssaude.v14n3.5487 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 355-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mara Cristina Lofrano-Prado ◽

Wagner Luiz Prado ◽

Mauro Virgílio Gomes Barros ◽

Sandra Lopes de Souza

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Body Image Dissatisfaction ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Health Science ◽

Self Report ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Eat 26

Introduction: Body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior increase during college. Objectives: To identify symptoms of eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction in college students and to verify the relationship between eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 408 college students (283 females), aged 18-23y, enrolled in the first semester of health science in public universities from Recife-PE. Symptoms of eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction were assessed by self-report questionnaires (EAT-26, BITE, BES, BSQ). Results: Body image dissatisfaction was independently associated with a 22-fold increased risk for anorexia nervosa, 18-fold for bulimia nervosa and 25-fold for binge eating. Female college students (32.5%; CI95%=27.2-38.1%) have higher symptoms of eating disorders than males (18.4%; CI95%=12.3-25.9%). Specifically for bulimia, both females (26.1%; CI95%=21.3-31.5%) and males (21.6%; CI95%=15.1-29.5%) are at greater risk of developing this illness. Conclusion: The current findings provide preliminary evidence about risks of college health sciences students with body image dissatisfaction to develop eating disorders.

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Technology-Enabled Reform in a Nontraditional Mental Health Service for Eating Disorders: Participatory Design Study

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/19532 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. e19532

Author(s):

Alyssa Clare Milton ◽

Ashlea Hambleton ◽

Mitchell Dowling ◽

Anna Elizabeth Roberts ◽

Tracey Davenport ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Participatory Design ◽

Technological Solution ◽

Web Based ◽

Design Processes ◽

The Right ◽

Body Image Issues ◽

Technology Solution

Background The recent Australian National Agenda for Eating Disorders highlights the role technology can play in improving accessibility and service development through web-based prevention, early access pathways, self-help, and recovery assistance. However, engagement with the eating disorders community to co-design, build, and evaluate these much-needed technology solutions through participatory design processes has been lacking and, until recently, underresourced. Objective This study aims to customize and configure a technology solution for a nontraditional (web-based, phone, email) mental health service that provides support for eating disorders and body image issues through the use of participatory design processes. Methods Participants were recruited chiefly through the Butterfly National Helpline 1800 ED HOPE (Butterfly’s National Helpline), an Australian-wide helpline supporting anyone concerned by an eating disorder or body image issue. Participants included individuals with lived experience of eating disorders and body image issues, their supportive others (such as family, health professionals, support workers), and staff of the Butterfly Foundation. Participants took part in participatory design workshops, running up to four hours, which were held nationally in urban and regional locations. The workshop agenda followed an established process of discovery, evaluation, and prototyping. Workshop activities included open and prompted discussion, reviewing working prototypes, creating descriptive artifacts, and developing user journeys. Workshop artifacts were used in a knowledge translation process, which identified key learnings to inform user journeys, user personas, and the customization and configuration of the InnoWell Platform for Butterfly’s National Helpline. Further, key themes were identified using thematic techniques and coded in NVivo 12 software. Results Six participatory design workshops were held, of which 45 participants took part. Participants highlighted that there is a critical need to address some of the barriers to care, particularly in regional and rural areas. The workshops highlighted seven overarching qualitative themes: identified barriers to care within the current system; need for people to be able to access the right care anywhere, anytime; recommendations for the technological solution (ie, InnoWell Platform features and functionality); need for communication, coordination, and integration of a technological solution embedded in Butterfly’s National Helpline; need to consider engagement and tone within the technological solution; identified challenges and areas to consider when implementing a technological solution in the Helpline; and potential outcomes of the technological solution embedded in the Helpline relating to system and service reform. Ultimately, this technology solution should ensure that the right care is provided to individuals the first time. Conclusions Our findings highlight the value of actively engaging stakeholders in participatory design processes for the customization and configuration of new technologies. End users can highlight the critical areas of need, which can be used as a catalyst for reform through the implementation of these technologies in nontraditional services.

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Technology-Enabled Reform in a Nontraditional Mental Health Service for Eating Disorders: Participatory Design Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.19532 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alyssa Clare Milton ◽

Ashlea Hambleton ◽

Mitchell Dowling ◽

Anna Elizabeth Roberts ◽

Tracey Davenport ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Participatory Design ◽

Technological Solution ◽

Web Based ◽

Design Processes ◽

The Right ◽

Body Image Issues ◽

Technology Solution

BACKGROUND The recent Australian National Agenda for Eating Disorders highlights the role technology can play in improving accessibility and service development through web-based prevention, early access pathways, self-help, and recovery assistance. However, engagement with the eating disorders community to co-design, build, and evaluate these much-needed technology solutions through participatory design processes has been lacking and, until recently, underresourced. OBJECTIVE This study aims to customize and configure a technology solution for a nontraditional (web-based, phone, email) mental health service that provides support for eating disorders and body image issues through the use of participatory design processes. METHODS Participants were recruited chiefly through the Butterfly National Helpline 1800 ED HOPE (Butterfly’s National Helpline), an Australian-wide helpline supporting anyone concerned by an eating disorder or body image issue. Participants included individuals with lived experience of eating disorders and body image issues, their supportive others (such as family, health professionals, support workers), and staff of the Butterfly Foundation. Participants took part in participatory design workshops, running up to four hours, which were held nationally in urban and regional locations. The workshop agenda followed an established process of discovery, evaluation, and prototyping. Workshop activities included open and prompted discussion, reviewing working prototypes, creating descriptive artifacts, and developing user journeys. Workshop artifacts were used in a knowledge translation process, which identified key learnings to inform user journeys, user personas, and the customization and configuration of the InnoWell Platform for Butterfly’s National Helpline. Further, key themes were identified using thematic techniques and coded in NVivo 12 software. RESULTS Six participatory design workshops were held, of which 45 participants took part. Participants highlighted that there is a critical need to address some of the barriers to care, particularly in regional and rural areas. The workshops highlighted seven overarching qualitative themes: identified barriers to care within the current system; need for people to be able to access the right care anywhere, anytime; recommendations for the technological solution (ie, InnoWell Platform features and functionality); need for communication, coordination, and integration of a technological solution embedded in Butterfly’s National Helpline; need to consider engagement and tone within the technological solution; identified challenges and areas to consider when implementing a technological solution in the Helpline; and potential outcomes of the technological solution embedded in the Helpline relating to system and service reform. Ultimately, this technology solution should ensure that the right care is provided to individuals the first time. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the value of actively engaging stakeholders in participatory design processes for the customization and configuration of new technologies. End users can highlight the critical areas of need, which can be used as a catalyst for reform through the implementation of these technologies in nontraditional services.

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The Association Between Sports, Body Image, and Eating Disorders of Males Teens at Eastside Catholic

Journal of Student Research ◽

10.47611/jsrhs.v10i4.2024 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Ruoya Huang ◽

Stephanie McNesby

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Eating Behaviors ◽

Pubertal Development ◽

Peer Pressure ◽

Sports Participation ◽

Mental Illnesses ◽

Family Influence ◽

Exercise Load ◽

Body Image Issues

In the past 25 years, the number of males who are dissatisfied with their bodies increased threefold. This is prevalent especially in the athletic field, where different physique expectations are closely associated with performance. Heightened focus on dietary rules and fitness level cause males to struggle with body dissatisfaction and shame and increase the risk of them developing eating disorders (ED), some of which are the most fatal mental illnesses. Many disordered eating behaviors stem from negative self-perceptions, which start to develop as early as the beginning of grade school and intensifies during pubertal development. However, most studies that examine this issue either looks at female college athletes who have a heavy exercise load and pressure from society on their physiques or focuses on social factors of peer pressure, family influence, and beauty standard. Therefore, it is imperative to determine whether sports participation is positively correlated with the rapidly growing rate of body image issues and ED symptoms in adolescent boys to help address them promptly and prevent severe and lasting damages. This quantitative case study conducted on male teens at Eastside Catholic High School (ECHS) found positive correlations between aesthetic/strength sports, body image issues, and higher ED risks, suggesting that athletic involvement plays a greater role in a person’s physical perception and mental health than body weight does. The conclusions inform education institutions and guardians of the more effective way to detect male adolescents’ body image issues and eating disorder symptoms, helping to prevent or alleviate mental illnesses.

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Mindfulness-Based Group Approach for Undergraduate Students with Disordered Eating or Body Image Issues: A Case Study

Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal ◽

10.18061/bhac.v1i2.6042 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Olivia Stumpf

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorders ◽

Body Image ◽

Disordered Eating ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Internal State ◽

Future Research ◽

Present Moment ◽

Mindful Eating ◽

Group Approach ◽

Body Image Issues

Background: Mindfulness can be defined as "consciously bringing awareness to the present moment by focusing non-judgmentally on cognitions, emotions, and physical sensations" (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). This technique is applicable to patients with disordered eating, body image issues, or eating disorders (EDs) because these individuals have a tendency to become detached from their emotions and use the over or under consumption of food to regulate their internal state (Corstorphine, 2006). Mindfulness techniques are used to create a connection between thoughts, feelings and physical sensations, and external experiences. Practicing mindful eating is one way undergraduate students can be attentive to hunger cues and ensure balanced nutrition amidst a full academic schedule.Aim: The aim of the study was to develop and evaluate a mindfulness-based group approach to managing eating disorders in college students with disordered eating or body image issues.Methods: Undergraduate students ages 18 to 22 years old who were already receiving treatment for ED symptomatology from a university Counseling & Psychological Services Center were recruited to participate in a six-week mindfulness-based group approach to eating awareness. Results from the progress of two participants’ process observations are shared.Results: Increases were seen in participants’ confidence in using mindfulness-based practices to foster a sense of acceptance, nurturance, and adaptive behaviors.Conclusions: A mindfulness-based group approach to treatment of disordered eating or body image issues shows promise for improving the quality of life for college-aged students. Undergraduate institutions have the advantage of using social interaction to facilitate healthy behavioral change. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is suggested, and implications regarding practice and education are also discussed.

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