Abstract
Objective
To investigate, in a nationally representative sample of US adults, the prevalence
of help-seeking in individuals with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) eating disorders (EDs) and to examine sex and ethnic/racial differences.
Patients and Methods
The 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III
(N=36,309) included respondents who met the criteria for specific lifetime DSM-5 EDs and answered questions regarding help-seeking for their ED symptoms (anorexia
nervosa [AN]: n=275; bulimia nervosa [BN]: n=91; and binge-eating disorder [BED]:
n=256).
Results
The prevalence (standard error) estimates of ever seeking any help for AN, BN, and
BED were 34.5% (2.80%), 62.6% (5.36%), and 49.0% (3.74%), respectively. Adjusting
for sociodemographic characteristics, men and ethnic/racial minorities (non-Hispanic
blacks and Hispanics) were statistically significantly less likely to ever seek help
for BED than were women or non-Hispanic whites, respectively. Hispanics also were
significantly less likely to seek help for AN relative to non-Hispanic whites.
Conclusion
This was the first study in a nationally representative sample of US adults to examine
rates of help-seeking, including by sex and ethnic/racial differences, across DSM-5–defined EDs. These findings emphasize the need to develop strategies to encourage
help-seeking among individuals with EDs, particularly among men and ethnic/racial
minorities.
Abbreviations and Acronyms:
AN (anorexia nervosa), AUDADIS-5 (Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-5), BED (binge-eating disorder), BN (bulimia nervosa), CPES (Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Studies), DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition), ED (eating disorder), NESARC-III (National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: July 16, 2019
Footnotes
For editorial comment, see page 1398
Grant Support: Dr Grilo was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01 DK114075, R01 DK112771, R01 DK49587).
Potential Competing Interests: The authors report no competing interests.
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
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Access this article on ScienceDirectLinked Article
- Our Eating Disorders Blind Spot: Sex and Ethnic/Racial Disparities in Help-Seeking for Eating DisordersMayo Clinic ProceedingsVol. 94Issue 8
- PreviewIn the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Coffino et al1 present the results of the largest population-based study of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Revision (DSM-5) eating disorders to date. The researchers found discouragingly low rates of help-seeking behavior in adults with anorexia nervosa (AN) (34.5%), bulimia nervosa (62.6%), and binge eating disorder (BED) (49.0%). Because these authors defined help-seeking broadly, and included not only seeing a doctor, counselor, or therapist about eating or weight but also modalities such as chat rooms and support groups, it is unlikely that many individuals sought and received evidence-based treatment.
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