Objectives: This study examines aspects of health professionals’ knowledge and attitudes about eating disorders (EDs) , which might impede the effective detection or treatment of EDs in Ireland. Methods: 1,916 health professionals were invited to participate in a web-based survey. Participants were randomly allocated to view one of five vignettes depicting a young person with symptoms consistent with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Depression or Type 1 Diabetes. Study-specific questions examined participants’ responses to the vignettes and ED knowledge and experience

McNamara, N

McNicholas, F

O'Connor, C

O'Hara, L

English

Objectives This study examines aspects of healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes about eating disorders (EDs), which might impede the effective detection or treatment of EDs in Ireland.



Methods A total of 1,916 healthcare professionals were invited to participate in a web-based survey. Participants were randomly allocated to view one of five vignettes depicting a young person with symptoms consistent with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, depression or type 1 diabetes. Study-specific questions examined participants’ responses to the vignettes and ED knowledge and experience.



Results In total, 171 clinicians responded (9% response rate). Participants had an average of 15.8 years of clinical experience (s.d.=9.2) and included psychiatrists, GPs, psychologists and counsellors. Although participants’ knowledge of EDs was moderately good overall, responses showed poor recognition of the symptoms of EDs compared with depression [χ2 (4, n=127)=20.17, p<0.001]. Participants viewed EDs as chronic disorders that primarily affected females. Participants believed that clinicians like working with patients with depression and diabetes more than with AN patients [F (4,101)=5.11, p=0.001]. Among the professionals surveyed, psychiatrists were the most knowledgeable about EDs [F (4,82)=9.18, p<0.001], and were more confident in their ability to diagnose and treat EDs than professionals of all other disciplines, except psychologists [F (4,85)=8.99, p<0.001]. Psychiatrists were also the most pessimistic about ED patients’ long-term life prospects [χ2 (4, n=65)=15.84, p=0.003].



Conclusions This study recommends that specific attention should be given to EDs in professional educational programmes across healthcare disciplines. This training should not be restricted to improving healthcare professionals’ knowledge of EDs, but should also strive to increase service-providers’ awareness of how their own potentially stigmatising attitudes can undermine engagement with treatment

McNicholas, F.

O'Connor, Cliodhna

O'Hara, L.

McNamara, N.

Maynooth EPrints and ETheses Archive

Stigma and treatment of eating disorders in Ireland: healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes

Maynooth University ePrints and eTheses Archive

Nottingham Trent Institutional Repository (IRep)

A comparison of stigma towards eating disorders versus depression.

A very low response rate in an on-line survey of medical practitioners.

A Vision for Change: Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy. Government Publications Office:

Access to health care among Australian adolescents: Young people’s perspectives and their socio-demographic distribution.

All of us? An exploration of the concept of mental health literacy based on young people’s responses to fictional mental health vignettes.

Attitudes towards Anorexia Nervosa: The impact of framing on blame and stigma.

Attitudes towards people with a mental disorder: A survey of the Australian public and health professionals.

Bulimia nervosa: Professional and lay people's beliefs about the causes.

Clinician reactions to patients with eating disorders: A review of the literature.

Eating disorders in men: Underdiagnosed, undertreated and misunderstood.

Entry into specialist services for the eating disorders: Audit of clinical pathways through primary and secondary care. Report from the Specialist Clinical Audit Programme for South London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex. NHS Specialist Clinical Audit Office.

Gerber GS (2000).Use of new technology in endourology and laparoscopy by American urologists: internet and postal survey. Urology 56,760–765.

Knowledge and attitudes of psychiatrists towards eating disorders.

Medical providers’ self-perceived knowledge and skills for working with eating disorders: a national survey.

Mental health in general practice: Assessment of current state and future needs.

Not all my fault”: Genetics, stigma, and personal responsibility for women with eating disorders.

Perceptions of illness in individuals with Anorexia Nervosa: A comparison with lay men and women.

Primary care physicians’ knowledge of and attitudes towards the eating disorders: Do they affect clinical actions?

Public perceptions of binge eating and its treatment.

Response rates and response bias for 50 surveys of pediatricians.

Response rates to mail surveys published in medical journals.

Self-perceived stigmatization in female patients with anorexia nervosa--results from an explorative retrospective pilot study of adolescents.

Stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination of women with Anorexia Nervosa.

Stigma of mental illness and ways of diminishing it.

Stigmatisation of and discrimination against people with eating disorders including a report of two nationwide surveys.

Stigmatised identity and service usage in disadvantaged communities: Residents’, community workers’ and service providers’ perspectives.

Stigmatization of Anorexia Nervosa.

Stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs about bulimia nervosa: Gender, age, education and income variability in a community sample.

Stigmatizing attitudes differ across mental health disorders: A comparison of stigma across eating disorders, obesity, and major depressive disorder.

Stigmatizing attitudes towards individuals with anorexia nervosa: an investigation of attribution theory.

The dissimilarity between patients’ and relatives’ perception of eating disorders and its relation to patient adjustment.

The illness perception questionnaire: A new method for assessing the cognitive representation of illness.

The revised illness perception questionnaire (IPQ-R).

Touyz S (in press). The prevalence and adverse associations of stigmatization in people with eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders. Early online publication. doi:

Whelan A

Young people's stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs about anorexia nervosa and muscle dysmorphia.

Stigma and treatment of eating disorders in Ireland: healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes

NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive

MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive Library

ObjectivesThis study examines aspects of healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes about eating disorders (EDs), which might impede the effective detection or treatment of EDs in Ireland.MethodsA total of 1,916 healthcare professionals were invited to participate in a web-based survey. Participants were randomly allocated to view one of five vignettes depicting a young person with symptoms consistent with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, depression or type 1 diabetes. Study-specific questions examined participants’ responses to the vignettes and ED knowledge and experience.ResultsIn total, 171 clinicians responded (9% response rate). Participants had an average of 15.8 years of clinical experience (s.d.=9.2) and included psychiatrists, GPs, psychologists and counsellors. Although participants’ knowledge of EDs was moderately good overall, responses showed poor recognition of the symptoms of EDs compared with depression [χ2(4,n=127)=20.17,p&lt;0.001]. Participants viewed EDs as chronic disorders that primarily affected females. Participants believed that clinicians like working with patients with depression and diabetes more than with AN patients [F(4,101)=5.11,p=0.001]. Among the professionals surveyed, psychiatrists were the most knowledgeable about EDs [F(4,82)=9.18,p&lt;0.001], and were more confident in their ability to diagnose and treat EDs than professionals of all other disciplines, except psychologists [F(4,85)=8.99,p&lt;0.001]. Psychiatrists were also the most pessimistic about ED patients’ long-term life prospects [χ2(4,n=65)=15.84,p=0.003].ConclusionsThis study recommends that specific attention should be given to EDs in professional educational programmes across healthcare disciplines. This training should not be restricted to improving healthcare professionals’ knowledge of EDs, but should also strive to increase service-providers’ awareness of how their own potentially stigmatising attitudes can undermine engagement with treatment.</jats:sec

Stigma and treatment of eating disorders in Ireland: healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Maynooth EPrints and ETheses Archive

Maynooth University ePrints and eTheses Archive

Nottingham Trent Institutional Repository (IRep)

NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive

MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive Library

Crossref