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Eating Disorders During Emerging Adulthood: A Systematic Scoping Review.
Rachel Potterton1, Katie Richards1, Karina Allen1,2,3
1Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Psychology
|February 22, 2020
Summary
Emerging adulthood (EA) is a critical developmental stage for understanding eating disorders (EDs). Adapting treatments for emerging adults (EAs) improves care, but the EA concept is underutilized in ED research.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Eating Disorder Research
Background:
- Eating disorders (EDs) significantly impact social, psychological, and vocational development during emerging adulthood (EA), a critical transition period (ages ~18-25).
- Young adults' treatment needs for EDs are often unmet, highlighting a gap in care compared to adolescents.
- The concept of emerging adulthood (EA) offers a framework for understanding developmental shifts during this life stage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review research on eating disorders (EDs) that incorporates the concept of emerging adulthood (EA).
- To evaluate the utility of the emerging adulthood (EA) framework in advancing ED research and clinical practice.
- To identify specific factors and challenges related to EDs in emerging adults (EAs).
Main Methods:
- A systematic scoping review following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines.
- Searched three databases (Psychinfo, PubMed, Embase) for studies explicitly on EDs and EA, with no restrictions on publication type, language, or design.
- Assessed included studies for developmental relevance and synthesized findings qualitatively.
Main Results:
- Thirty-six studies (N=25,475) were included, predominantly quantitative and cross-sectional, focusing on psychological and social factors in ED etiology.
- While adolescent/adult ED factors are relevant, EA-specific factors like identity exploration may also contribute.
- Conventional ED services pose challenges for EAs; adapted treatments are more feasible, acceptable, and effective.
Conclusions:
- The emerging adulthood (EA) concept is valuable for understanding EDs during the transition to adulthood.
- ED services require adaptations to address the unique opportunities and challenges of the EA developmental stage.
- Increased engagement with EA developmental literature by researchers and clinicians is crucial for improving ED understanding and treatment.
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