Development of guidelines for giving community presentations about eating disorders: a Delphi study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Public Health
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Concerns exist regarding the potential for discussing eating disorders (EDs) to exacerbate symptoms in vulnerable individuals.
• Developing safe communication strategies is crucial for public education on EDs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish expert consensus-based guidelines for delivering safe and effective community presentations on eating disorders.
• To identify key themes for presentations that promote knowledge, reduce stigma, and encourage help-seeking behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A Delphi study involving 26 participants with professional expertise in EDs and individuals with lived experience.
• Panelists rated 367 statements on their suitability for inclusion in guidelines and potential for benefit or harm.
• Statements were classified as endorsed, re-rated, or not endorsed across three rounds of consensus-building.

Main Results:

• 208 statements were endorsed by the expert panel.
• Strong consensus was reached on including ED etiology and promoting help-seeking in presentations.
• Disagreements arose regarding specific content, such as the impact of dieting on weight gain.

Conclusions:

• Expert consensus was achieved on numerous aspects of ED presentations.
• Guidelines were developed to aid public education on EDs, emphasizing harm reduction and support.
• Further evaluation is recommended to ascertain the efficacy of the developed guidelines.