Navigating challenges to providing eating disorder support in collegiate recovery programs

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Clinical Psychology
• Higher Education Health Services

Background:

• Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) offer vital support for students with substance use disorders (SUDs).
• Eating disorders frequently co-occur with SUDs, yet CRPs often lack resources to address these dual diagnoses.
• There's a critical gap in specialized eating disorder (ED) support within higher education settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the experience of integrating ED support into a CRP at Texas Tech University.
• To identify challenges encountered when providing ED support within a CRP setting.
• To offer recommendations and resources for enhancing ED services in CRPs.

Main Methods:

• A brief report detailing a single institution's experience.
• Qualitative analysis of challenges faced in delivering integrated care.
• Development of practical recommendations based on institutional experience.

Main Results:

• CRPs face unique challenges in supporting students with co-occurring SUDs and EDs.
• Specific barriers include lack of specialized training, limited provider networks, and inadequate assessment tools.
• Successful integration requires tailored interventions and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Colleges must prioritize integrated care models for students with co-occurring SUDs and EDs.
• CRPs can be adapted to provide effective eating disorder support with targeted strategies.
• Further research is needed to develop and validate best practices for ED support in CRPs.