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Mental Health Literacy and Eating-Disordered Behavior: Beliefs of Adolescent Girls Concerning the Treatment of and Treatment-Seeking for Bulimia Nervosa

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Abstract

This research examined the “mental health literacy” of adolescents concerning eating-disordered behavior. A vignette describing a fictional 16-year old female meeting diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa was presented to 522 female high school students, followed by a series of questions concerning treatment of and treatment-seeking for the problem described. Results indicated that primary care practitioners, mothers and close female friends were most highly regarded as potential sources of help. Self-help interventions, including the use of vitamins and minerals, were also highly regarded, whereas participants were less positive about the benefits of mental health specialists and ambivalent about the use of anti-depressant medication. Most participants believed that the problem described would be difficult to treat, and that relapse was likely even given appropriate treatment. An additional finding of note was that among participants with a high level of eating disorder symptoms (n=36, 6.9%), recognition of an eating problem was poor. We conclude that beliefs likely to be conducive to low and/or inappropriate treatment-seeking for eating problems may be common among adolescent girls. In addition, the findings suggest that prevention programs for the eating disorders need to target not only at-risk individuals, but also individuals in their immediate social environment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Ms Greta Kretschmar, NSW Eating Disorders Foundation, for her assistance in coordinating this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, 4811, Australia

    J. M. Mond & P. J. Hay

  2. NSW Centre for Eating & Dieting Disorders, Central Sydney Area Health Service, Sydney, NSW, 2050, Australia

    P. Marks

  3. National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

    B. Rodgers

  4. Orygen Research Centre, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia

    C. Kelly

  5. Medical Education Unit, Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2606, Australia

    C. Owen

  6. School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia

    S. J. Paxton

Authors
  1. J. M. Mond
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  2. P. Marks
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  3. P. J. Hay
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  4. B. Rodgers
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  5. C. Kelly
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  6. C. Owen
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  7. S. J. Paxton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. M. Mond.

Appendix A: The vignette used in the mental health literacy survey

Appendix A: The vignette used in the mental health literacy survey

Kelly is a 16 year-old high-school student. Although mildly overweight when she was younger, Kelly’s current weight is within the normal range for her age and height. However, she thinks she is overweight. Upon starting year 11, Kelly joined a fitness program at the gym and also started running regularly. Through these efforts, she gradually began to lose weight. Kelly then started to ‘diet,’ avoiding all fatty foods, not eating between meals, and trying to eat set portions of ‘healthy foods,’ mainly fruit and vegetables and bread or rice, each day. Kelly also continued with the exercise program, losing several more kilograms. However, she has found it difficult to maintain the weight loss and for the past 18 months her weight has been continually fluctuating, sometimes by as much as 5 kilograms within a few weeks. Kelly has also found it difficult to control her eating. While able to limit her dietary intake during the day, at night she is often unable to stop eating, bingeing on, for example, a loaf of bread and several pieces of fruit. To counteract the effects of this bingeing, Kelly takes laxative tablets. On other occasions, she vomits after overeating. Because of her strict routines of eating and exercising, Kelly has lost contact with most of her friends.

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Mond, J.M., Marks, P., Hay, P.J. et al. Mental Health Literacy and Eating-Disordered Behavior: Beliefs of Adolescent Girls Concerning the Treatment of and Treatment-Seeking for Bulimia Nervosa. J Youth Adolescence 36, 753–762 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9087-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9087-9

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