Flourishing despite eating disorder risk: exploring undergraduate student academic, social and mental health outcomes via the dual continua model

Eating disorder (ED) risk is pervasive among undergraduate students, however, psychopathology and well-being can vary notably. Using National College Health Assessment (NCHA-III) (2023) data, 277 Atlantic Canadian undergraduate students (mean age 22.4 years) who screened positive for an ED based on the Sick Control One-stone Fat Food (SCOFF) scale were separated into flourishing (19.4%) and non-flourishing sub-samples using the Mental Health Continuum - Short Form (MHC-SF) scale. Chi square tests revealed that flourishing students were less likely to report problems with academics, faculty, and relationships, loneliness and isolation, and more likely to report stronger university belongingness. Flourishing students also indicated better self-assessed health, as well as, lower psychological distress, suicidality risk, psychological/mental health service utilization, and comorbid anxiety and depression. While SCOFF scores were significantly lower among flourishing students, body mass index (BMI) levels did not vary. Findings are considered via the dual continua model, with recommendations to enhance potential to flourish.