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Stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs toward bulimia nervosa: the importance of knowledge and eating disorder symptoms
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 23:10 authored by Rodgers, RF, Paxton, SJ, McLean, SA, Massey, R, Jon MondJon Mond, Hay, PJ, Rodgers, BWidely held stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs toward bulimic eating disorders may lead to self-blame and reduced treatment seeking. Knowledge and familiarity with mental disorders may help decrease associated stigma. However, these relationships are not well understood in bulimia nervosa (BN). A community sample of 1828 adults aged 18 to 70 years completed a survey assessing stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs toward BN, knowledge and familiarity with the disorder, as well as levels of eating disorder symptoms. Knowledge of BN was negatively associated with three dimensions of stigmatization, personal responsibility (ρ = -0.28), unreliability (ρ = -0.19), and advantages of BN (ρ = -0.23). Familiarity revealed no association with stigmatization. Both men and women with high levels of eating disorder symptoms perceived BN as less serious than the participants with low levels of symptoms. Increasing community knowledge about bulimia may help mitigate stigmatization and perceived barriers to treatment.
History
Publication title
The Journal of nervous and mental diseaseVolume
203Issue
4Pagination
259-63ISSN
0022-3018Department/School
School of Health SciencesPublisher
Lippincott Williams & WilkinsPlace of publication
United KingdomRights statement
Copyright 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.Repository Status
- Restricted