Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia.
Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia ; Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
J Eat Disord. 2015 Dec 2;3:46. doi: 10.1186/s40337-015-0084-9. eCollection 2015.
Whether and to what extent young adults are aware of the adverse impact of eating disorder features (EDF) on psychosocial functioning is unclear, although such awareness may affect the experience and behavior of sufferers. The aim of the current study was to examine young adults' perceptions of psychosocial impairment associated with EDF, and the potential effect on these perceptions of an eating disorders "mental health literacy" (ED-MHL) intervention.
Undergraduate students (male: n = 35; female: n = 141) completed self-report questionnaires prior to, immediately following, and 3 months after completion of a 3-h ED-MHL intervention. Perceived psychosocial impairment associated with EDF-binge eating, purging, extreme dietary restriction, overvaluation of weight/shape, and excessive exercise-was assessed at each time point.
At all 3 time points, EDF were considered to have a 'slightly negative' to 'very negative' impact on psychosocial functioning. Prior to the intervention, binge eating, purging and extreme dietary restriction were generally considered to have a greater negative impact than excessive exercise and overvaluation of weight/shape. Three months after the ED-MHL intervention, participants reported greater perceived impairment associated with excessive exercise and overvaluation; while perceptions of psychosocial impairment associated with binge eating, purging and dietary restriction remained largely unchanged. Females perceived greater impairment associated with EDF than males did immediately after the intervention, but not at the 3-month follow-up.
The adverse effects on psychosocial functioning of binge eating, purging and extreme dietary restriction appear to be readily recognized by young people. Awareness of the adverse effects of excessive exercise and overvaluation may be poorer, but amenable to improvement by means of a relatively simple intervention. These features may warrant particular attention in health promotion programs.
尽管这种意识可能会影响患者的体验和行为，但年轻人是否以及在何种程度上意识到饮食障碍特征（EDF）对心理社会功能的不利影响尚不清楚。本研究的目的是检验年轻人对与 EDF 相关的心理社会障碍的感知，以及饮食障碍“心理健康素养”（ED-MHL）干预对这些感知的潜在影响。
本科生（男性：n=35；女性：n=141）在完成 3 小时 ED-MHL 干预之前、之后立即和 3 个月后完成自我报告问卷。在每个时间点评估与 EDF-暴食、催吐、极端饮食限制、体重/体型过度重视和过度运动相关的感知心理社会障碍。
在所有 3 个时间点，EDF 被认为对心理社会功能有“轻微负面”到“非常负面”的影响。在干预之前，暴食、催吐和极端饮食限制通常被认为比过度运动和体重/体型过度重视对负面影响更大。ED-MHL 干预 3 个月后，参与者报告与过度运动和体重/体型过度重视相关的感知障碍更大；而与暴食、催吐和饮食限制相关的心理社会障碍感知基本保持不变。干预后，女性比男性立即感知到 EDF 相关的更大障碍，但在 3 个月的随访中并非如此。
暴食、催吐和极端饮食限制对心理社会功能的不利影响似乎很容易被年轻人认识到。对过度运动和体重/体型过度重视的不良影响的认识可能较差，但通过相对简单的干预措施可以改善。这些特征在健康促进计划中可能需要特别关注。
