Characteristics of seeking treatment among U.S. adolescents with eating disorders

• Published in: The International journal of eating disorders Vol. 50; no. 7; pp. 826 - 833
• Main Authors: Forrest, Lauren N., Smith, April R., Swanson, Sonja A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-07-2017
• Subjects: Adolescent; Anorexia; Bulimia; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Eating disorders; Feeding and Eating Disorders - epidemiology; Feeding and Eating Disorders - therapy; Female; Health services; Humans; Male; Mental health; population‐based studies; Prevalence; Teenagers; treatment seeking; United States; United States > US; treatment seeking; population-based studies; eating disorders
• ISSN: 0276-3478; 1098-108X
• DOI: 10.1002/eat.22702

Objective
The majority of persons with eating disorders (EDs) do not seek ED treatment, yet little is known about treatment‐seeking barriers or facilitators. The aim of the study is to describe the characteristics associated with seeking ED treatment among U.S. adolescents with EDs.
Method
Data from a nationally representative cross‐sectional study of U.S. adolescents ages 13–18 years were used for these analyses. Specifically, adolescents who met criteria for lifetime EDs (N = 281) were included. Sociodemographic information, characteristics of EDs, psychiatric comorbidities, and other mental health service use were assessed via interview.
Results
Only 20% of adolescents sought ED treatment. Females were 2.2 (95% CI 0.8, 6.4) times more likely to seek treatment than males (19.9% vs. 8.9%). Adolescents who met criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa were 2.4 (95% CI 0.9, 6.3) and 1.9 (95% CI 1.0, 3.8) times more likely to seek treatment than adolescents who met criteria for binge‐eating disorder (27.5% and 22.3% vs. 11.6%). Specific ED behaviors (restriction and purging), ED‐related impairment, and any mental health service use were also associated with adolescent treatment seeking.
Discussion
Adolescent treatment seeking was infrequent overall, with individuals with counter‐stereotypic ED presentations least likely to have sought treatment. Adolescent treatment seeking could be promoted through increasing awareness among the public and healthcare professionals that EDs affect a heterogeneous group of people. More generally, research involving both treatment‐seeking and non‐treatment‐seeking individuals holds great potential to refine the field's knowledge of ED etiology, prevalence, treatment, and prevention.