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



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.



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.



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.
Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Lauren N
0000-0003-1481-5078
LN
Forrest
Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
April R
AR
Smith
Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.|Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
Sonja A
SA
Swanson
D000293:Adolescent; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States
eating disorders; population-based studies; treatment seeking