Psychological Correlates of Help Seeking for Eating-Disorder Symptoms in Female College Students

Meyer, Dinah F.

doi:10.1002/j.2161-1882.2005.tb00069.x

Cited by 24 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Although full syndrome EDs occur rarely, subsyndromal EDs are relatively common in college women (Kurth, Krahn, Nairn, & Drewnowski, 1995;Mintz & Betz, 1988). Moreover, many students with eating pathology doubt that their symptoms warrant treatment and/or do not pursue therapy (A. E. Becker, Franko, Nussbaum, & Herzog, 2004;Meyer, 2005). Given the difficulty of treatment and the substantial medical and psychological complications that co-occur with EDs (Wilson, Becker, & Heffernan, 2002), efforts to prevent EDs appear warranted.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer-facilitated eating disorder prevention: A randomized effectiveness trial of cognitive dissonance and media advocacy.

Becker¹,

Smith²,

Ciao³

2006

Journal of Counseling Psychology

150

151

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This study investigated the effectiveness of two interventions in reducing eating disorder risk factors under naturalistic conditions in sororities. Based on previous research, the campus sororities chose to implement a semi-mandatory, two-session eating disorder prevention program to all new sorority members (N=90) during sorority orientation. To facilitate evaluation, sororities agreed to random assignment of new members to either a cognitive dissonance or media advocacy intervention. Undergraduate peer facilitators ran the groups. Although both interventions had an effect, cognitive dissonance generally was superior at eight-month followup. Results further support the utility of cognitive dissonance in reducing eating disorder risk factors, and suggest that non-doctoral level leaders can deliver the program. Results also indicate that a semi-mandatory format does not reduce effectiveness.Peer Facilitated Eating Disorder 3

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer-facilitated eating disorder prevention: A randomized effectiveness trial of cognitive dissonance and media advocacy.

Becker¹,

Smith²,

Ciao³

2006

Journal of Counseling Psychology

150

151

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“…A recent study (Hackler et al 2010) indicated that disordered eating symptoms, which involve both cognitive and behavioral elements, are not associated with attitudes toward seeking counseling. However, previous literature suggests an inverse association between symptoms of severity of disordered eating and help-seeking attitudes (Meyer 2005;Mond et al 2009). Clearly, additional research is needed in order to help resolve such a discrepancy in findings.…”

Section: Disordered Eating Problems and Help-seeking Attitudesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Nevertheless, several factors contribute to barriers against seeking professional psychological services. These include a lack of knowledge of available services (Meyer 2001), a limited awareness of a need for counseling (Cachelin and Striegel-Moore 2006), a fear of social stigmatization (Hepworth and Paxton 2007), and a lack of confidence in psychological professionals or the likely effectiveness of treatment (Meyer 2005).…”

Section: Help-seeking Attitudesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disordered Eating Cognitions as Predictors of Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Services

Dotson

Masuda

Cohen

2011

Int J Adv Counselling

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The present study investigated whether young adults' disordered eating cognitions predicted attitudes toward seeking professional psychological services. Two hundred and eighty three 18-to 24-year-old undergraduate students completed a survey package that included measures of disordered eating cognitions and help-seeking attitudes. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that greater disordered eating cognitions uniquely predicted lower degrees of favorable help-seeking attitudes overall, lower stigma tolerance with respect to seeking professional psychological services, lower interpersonal openness in the context of help-seeking, and lower confidence in psychological professionals. The findings suggest that outreach interventions should, among other things, focus on stigma associated with help-seeking and disordered eating problems.

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“…Moreover, many college students experiencing disordered eating behaviors doubt their symptoms warrant treatment and thus do not pursue therapy (Becker, Franko, Nussbaum, & Herzog, 2004;Meyer, 2005). In fact, research has suggested that less than a third of individuals with eating disorders seek treatment (Fairburn et al, 2000;Johnson et al, 2002), and that the emergence of mental illness, including disordered eating, in late adolescence may have more serious and long-lasting consequences than at other stages of life (Currin & Shmidt, 2005).…”

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confidence: 99%

Reducing the Risk of Disordered Eating Among Female College Students: A Test of Alternative Interventions

Machin¹,

Leigh²

2009

PsycEXTRA Dataset

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The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a cognitive-dissonance based intervention in reducing disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. The intervention program created dissonance through discussion, exercises, and homework aimed at addressing and countering internalized sociocultural pressures, beliefs and values about women's bodies, attractiveness, and worth in the U.S. Seventy-seven female undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: cognitive-dissonance, combined cognitive-dissonance, healthy weight placebo control, and wait-list control To determine effectiveness of the intervention, MANCOVA procedures were used, with Time 1 scores serving as the covariate. Overall, the women who received the dissonance based interventions produced the strongest effects among measures assessing sociocultural pressures, internalization, and body dissatisfaction in comparison to the control group, and experienced significant reductions in dieting behaviors and bulimic symptoms over the course of the study, suggesting that the creation of dissonance via the intervention assisted the women in reducing eating disorder risk factors. Tebbe for all their efforts and enthusiasm in the initial development of these programs.On a personal note, I would like to thank Kelsey Latimer for her unconditional support throughout this program and for making studying for tests seem like a lot of fun! I would like to thank all my family members (Momm, Dadd, Elissa, Michael, Tom, Sarah, Gramma, Gloria, Horacio, Florencia, and Alejandro) for always caring and listening to me when I had a lot to say. Finally, I would like to thank Sebastian Machin for his generosity, support, and love…we did it.iii (Mussell, Binford, & Fulkerson, 2000). Even so, most researchers acknowledge the central role that sociocultural factors play in their development (Striegel-Moore & Bulik, 2007). The pursuit and internalization of societal ideals of thinness (the "thin ideal") may be attributable in part to repeated exposure to messages, communicated by family, friends, and the media, that glamorize and glorify excessive thinness (Irving, 1990;Stice, Schupak-Neuberg, Shaw, & Stein, 1994). Women may become dissatisfied with their bodies as they compare themselves to these unrealistic and unattainable societal body ideals (Brownell, 1991), and then react to this dissatisfaction in one (or both) of two specific ways. For some women, because physical appearance strongly influences their self-evaluation and emotional state, body dissatisfaction can lead to feelings of sadness, guilt, shame, depression, anxiety, and hostility. To cope with and distract themselves from these negative emotions, these women may binge eat; that is, eating becomes a salve for their affective distress (Stice, 2001). Other women may react to their body dissatisfaction by increasing their efforts to diet in an attempt to alter physical size to more closely approximate the societal thin-ideal. Because of the extensive caloric restriction and the inability to mai...

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Psychological Correlates of Help Seeking for Eating-Disorder Symptoms in Female College Students

Cited by 24 publications

References 26 publications

Peer-facilitated eating disorder prevention: A randomized effectiveness trial of cognitive dissonance and media advocacy.

Peer-facilitated eating disorder prevention: A randomized effectiveness trial of cognitive dissonance and media advocacy.

Disordered Eating Cognitions as Predictors of Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Services

Reducing the Risk of Disordered Eating Among Female College Students: A Test of Alternative Interventions

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