Objective Eating disorders (EDs) in men are often overlooked although they are associated with similar comorbidities and health issues as found in women. The present study is an in‐depth analysis of treatment experiences of eight men who had sought help, were diagnosed with an ED and received ED‐specific treatment. Method Data were generated from an open‐ended interview that explored men's narratives of their experiences of an ED, as well as questions that focused on their help‐seeking behaviours and treatment experiences. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. Results This analysis resulted in four themes. The first theme focused on how men ascribed meaning to the ED experience and how these negotiations shaped their help seeking behaviour. The second theme focused on some of the barriers and expectations of men that they encountered when negotiating treatment for an ED. The third theme encompassed the experiences of men when they received the ED‐specific treatment. The last theme included the positive outcomes of treatment and role of health professionals in treating EDs in men. Conclusion The findings highlight the importance of person‐centred ED treatments for men. Also identified was a need for improved health literacy among health practitioners in the field of EDs, specifically an increased awareness of the development of tailored interventions for men.

Eating disorders are increasingly recognized as a problem for men but help-seeking is low and little is known about their treatment experiences. This paper sought to determine the treatment experiences of men who have suffered from an eating disorder using autobiographical data. Inclusion criteria were autobiographies of men who had experienced an eating disorder and sought any form of treatment for this, written in the English language, published between 1995 and 2015, and available for purchase in 2016. The search resulted in six books that were thematically analyzed. Analysis of data resulted in two broad themes (1. Positive experiences; 2. Negative experiences) with sub-themes. With regards to the first theme, factors such as concern of staff members, therapist’s expertise (in treating eating disorders in men), and a collaborative treatment approach were considered favorable for treatment. In contrast to the first theme, apathy of staff members, the authors’ own negative preconceptions, treatment providers being perceived as prioritizing financial concerns, perceived as incompetent and judgmental behavior of therapist(s), and time limitations of sessions were considered unfavorable treatment experiences. In this study, the perceived success of treatment depended on therapist’s features and the form of treatment provided. Further research examining these is indicated.

Research has commonly examined eating disorders (EDs) predominantly in female groups. However, males are a large minority of people with EDs. In view of this, the present paper aimed to investigate and review the experience of treatment and recovery for males with an ED. We carried out a systematic search for qualitative articles focusing on the experiences of treatment and found only four papers which met inclusion criteria. Key themes identified across studies were 1) delays in seeking treatment, 2) clinical features distinctive to males such as drive for muscularity, 3) feminine and other aspects of treatment services, and 4) lack of consensus in views about relevance of sex in treatment. More studies are needed to explore male pathways through treatment and both impediments, but also facilitators, of successful engagement in and response to treatment.

BackgroundTraditionally perceived as a disorder of women, Eating Disorders (EDs) are known to have impacts on people irrespective of their gender. This study is designed to synthesise the available qualitative research studies to more broadly understand the diverse experiences of ED and their treatment, specifically in relationship to issues of gender.MethodsThe methodology involved a systematic search and quality appraisal of the literature published after 1980 using terms that aimed to represent the primary concepts of “role of gender” and “treatment experiences” and “eating disorders”. Nine qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-themes were inductively generated through a synthesis of data across themes from the relevant included papers.ResultsAnalysis of data was constructed around three meta-themes, each with subthemes. The first meta-theme “Out of sight, out of mind” depicted the experience of gender issues that were marginalised in treatment. More specifically for transgender people, when gender issues were ignored by treatment providers, this frequently led to non-disclosure of their gender identity. Furthermore, men were less likely to be assessed for an eating disorder and within this context; diagnosis of an ED and referral to specialist treatment was frequently hindered. The second meta-theme “Lack of literacy among health care providers” focused on issues related to misdiagnosis of EDs, and the question of whether this was related to a lack of health literacy amongst health professionals. The final theme “Pathways into treatment that address stigma and other barriers” highlighted the need for the development of future treatment interventions address the complex social reality of the experiencing person, including questions of gender.ConclusionGender issues impact upon the ED experience and require broader consideration in the development and evaluation of ED treatment interventions, including the further development of gender-informed interventions.Trial registrationProtocol registered on PROSPERO 2017 CRD42017082616.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40337-018-0207-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.