Medical Providers' Self Perceived Knowledge and Skills for Working With Eating Disorders: A National Survey

Research indicates that individuals suffering from an eating disorder (ED) consult their general practitioners more frequently than those without an eating disorder (Mond, Myers, Crosby, Hay, & Mitchell, 2010 Mond, J. M., Myers, T. C., Crosby, R. D., Hay, P. J. and Mitchell, J. E. 2010. Bulimic eating disorders in primary care: Hidden morbidity still?. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 17(1): 56–63. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). However, little is known about medical providers' existing knowledge of and training in ED detection, intervention, and treatment. This study aimed to examine national medical providers' self-perceived knowledge, skills, and needs around eating disorder screening and intervention strategies. Utilizing survey design, a randomized sample of national medical providers responded to a 23-question survey. Sixty-eight percent of respondents indicated that they did not think to screen for an eating disorder because it was not the presenting concern and nearly 59% of providers did not feel like they had the skills necessary to intervene with eating disorders. Training implications and future research directions are discussed.