title: School counselors' knowledge of eating disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Twenty years ago, Price published a survey identifying knowledge deficits of school counselors regarding eating disorders. Our study surveys current school counselors to determine whether knowledge has increased and determine the availability of school-based prevention programming.
  
  
  METHODS
  School counselors from a single metropolitan area were surveyed prior to a mandatory in-service on eating disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 109 respondents, 55% felt eating disorders were a problem in their school. Very few felt "very competent" identifying (6%) or helping (2%) students with eating disorders. Today's school counselors were more likely to know a symptom of anorexia nervosa (AN) is missing at least three consecutive menstrual cycles and malnutrition is not a common cause of death for bulimia nervosa (BN).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While knowledge of AN and BN appear to have increased, school counselors still lack some basic understanding and report very low confidence in identifying and helping students with eating disorders.
authors: Redfern Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA.
authors: J L
authors: JL
authors: Harshbarger
authors: C R
authors: CR
authors: Ahlers-Schmidt
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Atif
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Allred
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Carroll
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Hauser
mesh_terms: D003376:Counseling; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D012572:School Health Services; D012574:Schools; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires