Facilitators and barriers to supporting young people with eating disorders during their transition to, and time at, university: An exploration of clinicians' perspectives

Abstract

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are common in student populations and present formidable challenges as to how best to treat and support these young people, especially at points of transition. Yet research exploring these challenges is lacking, particularly from the perspective of those providing treatment and support. Methods: A qualitative design was used to explore clinicians' perspectives of supporting students with EDs. Twelve clinicians from a large ED service in the United Kingdom participated in one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Facilitators and barriers to supporting students with EDs fell into four overarching themes: Health System, University, Patient and Carer Factors. Reported facilitators were; ED service awareness, flexibility and resources, university as a motivator, and carer support. Reported barriers were; poor links and communication between institutions, the primary care system, poor university provision for and awareness of EDs, young people's denial and ambivalence, inconsistent implementation of guidelines, and carer anxiety. Conclusions:The findings revealed challenges unique to the university transition, including the need for more collaborative working between healthcare and education institutions, improved training of non-specialised ED professionals, and the benefits of a flexible, adapted ED treatment approach specifically tailored to the unique needs of students with EDs.

Eating disorders and substance use: Examining associations among US college students

“…College‐age individuals represent an age group with high prevalence of EDs where the median age of onset of BED is 21 years and the median age of onset for both BN and AN is 18 years (Hudson et al, 2007). Life transitions and increased stress during the college years have been found to be associated with heightened risk for ED development during this period of life (Ganson et al, 2021; Sawyer et al, 2018; Webb & Schmidt, 2021), and previous research on this population has suggested that the prevalence of EDs among college students ranges from 8% to 17% (Hoerr et al, 2002; Kirk et al, 2001; Prouty et al, 2002; Reinking & Alexander, 2005).…”

Improving programme‐led and focused interventions for eating disorders: An experts' consensus statement—A UK perspective

“…People often hear about eating disorder treatments on social media and, as such, social media needs to be utilised to let people know about the availability and utility of programme‐led and focused interventions. Evidence‐based, targeted messaging was suggested to encourage people to get to the point when they are thinking about treatment and could help to overcome some common barriers to help‐seeking, such as down‐playing of illness severity and less perceived ability of others to help (Radunz et al., 2022 ; Webb & Schmidt, 2021 ). Involving people with lived experience is critical at every step, especially when it comes to spreading the word on social media.…”

Value of treatment for eating disorders

“…Tertiary education in some countries may be some distance from home. This can make the transition to new services more hazardous as discussed by Webb & Schmidt, 2021. Lifespan services can bridge these gaps and provide a variety of interventions matching developmental rather than chronological age (Voderholzer et al, 2020).…”