Potterton Rachel, Austin Amelia, Allen Karina, Lawrence Vanessa, Schmidt Ulrike
King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Section of Eating Disorders, London, UK.
The Eating Disorders Service, Maudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
J Eat Disord. 2020 Sep 3;8:46. doi: 10.1186/s40337-020-00320-5. eCollection 2020.
Eating disorders (EDs) typically have their onset during adolescence or the transition to adulthood. Emerging adulthood (~ 18-25 years) is a developmental phase which conceptually overlaps with adolescence but also has unique characteristics (e.g. increased independence). Emerging adults tend to come to ED services later in illness than adolescents, and emerging adulthood's unique characteristics may contribute to such delays
This study aimed to explore attitudes towards ED symptoms, and their implications for help-seeking, amongst emerging adults receiving ED treatment through FREED, an early intervention care pathway.
Participants were 14 emerging adults (mean age 20.9 years; SD = 2.0), all currently receiving specialist treatment for a first-episode, recent-onset (< 3 years) ED. Semi-structured interviews relating to experiences of help-seeking were conducted, and data were analysed thematically.
Symptom egosyntonicity, gradual reappraisal and feelings of exclusion from ED discourse were key attitudinal phases prior to help-seeking, each of which had distinct implications for help-seeking.
Emerging adults with first-episode EDs show a distinct set of help-seeking-related challenges and opportunities (e.g. help-seeking for others; help-seeking at transitions; self-sufficiency). This research might be used to inform the development and evaluation of interventions which aim to facilitate help-seeking amongst emerging adults with first-episode recent-onset EDs.
饮食失调通常在青春期或向成年期过渡时发病。青年期（约18 - 25岁）是一个发展阶段，在概念上与青春期重叠，但也有其独特特征（如独立性增强）。青年期的饮食失调患者往往比青少年患者在病情较晚阶段才寻求饮食失调服务，而青年期的独特特征可能导致了这种延迟。
本研究旨在探讨通过早期干预护理途径FREED接受饮食失调治疗的青年期患者对饮食失调症状的态度及其对寻求帮助的影响。
研究对象为14名青年期患者（平均年龄20.9岁；标准差 = 2.0），均正在接受首次发作、近期发病（<3年）饮食失调的专科治疗。进行了与寻求帮助经历相关的半结构式访谈，并对数据进行了主题分析。
症状同调性、逐渐重新评估以及被排除在饮食失调相关讨论之外的感受是寻求帮助之前的关键态度阶段，每个阶段对寻求帮助都有不同的影响。
首次发作饮食失调的青年期患者表现出一系列独特的与寻求帮助相关的挑战和机遇（如为他人寻求帮助；在过渡阶段寻求帮助；自给自足）。本研究可用于为旨在促进首次发作、近期发病饮食失调的青年期患者寻求帮助的干预措施的制定和评估提供参考。
