Online study about stigma – share your experience
Online study about stigma – share your experience
Stigmatisation of eating disorders is damaging in that it discourages people from seeking treatment for otherwise treatable conditions. Definitely stigma had a huge impact on my adolescence and young adulthood in seeking help for my eating disorder. My story is told in A Girl Called Tim.
I developed Anorexia at age 11, but was in my late 20s before desperation led to seeking medical help. I had grown up being told that I ‘thought too much about myself’, the inference always being that I was weak for not coping. Today I know that the courageous and right thing to do is to seek help straightaway. Don’t delay. An eating disorder is an illness. Reach out today.
Excitingly, researchers at the University of Sydney are seeking volunteers for a 20 minute online study about stigma toward people with eating disorders.
The aim of the project is to better inform academics, clinicians and the general public about the types of stigma that people with eating disorders face.
To take part in the study, you must be a male or female aged 16 years or over who is:
a) currently diagnosed with an eating disorder, OR
b) in recovery from an eating disorder, OR
c) suspicious that you might have an eating disorder.
The survey asks questions about your personal experiences with stigma. Specifically, you will be asked about what types of stigmatising attitudes and beliefs you encounter most frequently, and which attitudes and beliefs you find most damaging. In addition, you will also be asked about your psychiatric history and be asked a limited number of demographic questions. Other questions relate to your beliefs about seeking eating disorder treatment and your eating behaviour.
After completing the study, you will be shown a summary page of stigma in eating disorders that outlines the major goals of the study. Resources for further reading are also provided.
The study is being conducted by Scott Griffiths, PhD candidate, Professor Stephen Touyz at the University of Sydney, Australia. They can be contacted by emailing sgri6476@uni.sydney.edu.au (Scott) or stephen.touyz@sydney.edu.au (Stephen).
The study has been approved by the Human Research and Ethics Committee at the University of Sydney (protocol number 2013/760). The opening and closing date for recruitment for this study are the 10th October, 2013 and the 10th October, 2014, respectively.
Please click this link to be taken to the survey.
I completed this survey to help raise awareness of, and to increase understanding about, eating disorders. Make your experience count, too.
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