Disordered Eating Cognitions as Predictors of Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Services

Abstract

The present study investigated whether young adults' disordered eating cognitions predicted attitudes toward seeking professional psychological services. Two hundred and eighty three 18-to 24-year-old undergraduate students completed a survey package that included measures of disordered eating cognitions and help-seeking attitudes. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that greater disordered eating cognitions uniquely predicted lower degrees of favorable help-seeking attitudes overall, lower stigma tolerance with respect to seeking professional psychological services, lower interpersonal openness in the context of help-seeking, and lower confidence in psychological professionals. The findings suggest that outreach interventions should, among other things, focus on stigma associated with help-seeking and disordered eating problems.

Factors associated with self‐identification of an eating disorder history among Latinas meeting criteria for past or current eating disorders

“…Tolerance of mental health treatment stigma was measured with the Stigma Tolerance subscale of the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale (ATSPPH) . This 5‐item subscale has demonstrated acceptable internal consistency among an ethnically diverse sample of female undergraduates …”

Treatment seeking for eating disorders: Results from a nationally representative study

“…Indeed, a nationally representative study of adolescents found that in addition to greater symptom severity (particularly restricting and purging severity), individuals with greater role impairment were more likely to seek treatment (Forrest et al, ). Disordered eating cognitions have also been shown to negatively predict treatment‐seeking attitudes; namely, higher levels of disordered eating cognitions are associated with less favorable attitudes toward treatment seeking (Dotson, Masuda, & Cohen, ).…”

Help-seeking attitudes and behaviours among youth with eating disorders: a scoping review

“…Emerging adults In one longitudinal and two cross-sectional studies with emerging adult samples, it was similarly found that males and ethnic or racial minorities were less likely to seek help for their ED, were more likely to hold less positive help-seeking attitudes, and reported seeking help significantly later, than their female or non-ethnic minority (e.g., non-Hispanic Whites, European Americans) counterparts [ 56 , 77 , 78 ].…”

“…Another factor that positively influenced help-seeking behaviour among emerging adults was when other aspects of life suffered because of the ED [ 11 ], such as the inability to compete in sport [ 55 ], when their close relationships were affected [ 48 ], and when experiencing emotional distress and health concerns [ 58 ]. On the other hand, greater levels of disordered eating cognitions (e.g., fear of gaining weight), psychological distress and inflexibility, and pleasantness of ED symptoms in comparable samples were conversely found to be associated with less favourable help-seeking attitudes [ 11 , 78 , 80 ].…”

“…Similarly, university-age female athletes in recovery for an ED noted that a change in their environment or an improvement in their mood or self-esteem in another area of their lives motivated them to seek help [ 55 ]. Having previous help-seeking experience was related to more positive help-seeking attitudes among university-age students [ 78 ]. Consequently, holding reservations about treatment quality due to previous experiences with poor support led emerging adults with EDs to not seek support [ 87 ].…”