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Invisible walls? Stigma-related perceptions are associated with reduced help-seeking intentions for disordered eating
Martin S Lehe1,2, Georg Halbeisen3, Sabine Steins-Loeber4
1University Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Campus East-Westphalia, Ruhr-University Bochum, Virchowstr. 65, 32312, Lübbecke, Germany. martin.lehe@rub.de.
Background:
Eating disorders (EDs) are increasingly prevalent in men, but men remain underrepresented across many ED-specific treatment settings. Based on the idea that persistent stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination, i.e., stigma against men with EDs, could impede help-seeking behaviors, the present study investigated whether stigma-related perceptions in men are associated with reduced help-seeking intentions for a broad range of disordered eating symptoms.
Methods:
N = 132 adult men participated in a cross-sectional online survey and completed questionnaires on ED psychopathology, muscle dysmorphia, orthorexic eating, stigma-related perceptions of EDs in men, and help-seeking intentions.
Results:
Moderator analyses showed that higher stigma-related perceptions were associated with reduced help-seeking intentions in response to increased ED symptom severity. However, this was only the case for traditionally "feminized" ED symptoms (related to thin-body ideals), but not for help-seeking with regard to muscularity-oriented, orthorexic, or avoidant/restrictive disordered eating.
Conclusions:
Stigma may reduce help-seeking intentions with regard to "feminized" ED symptoms. The present findings suggest that perceptions of EDs as "women's diseases" were associated with reduced help-seeking in men. Stigma towards men with EDs could thus be a possible barrier to help-seeking in men, highlighting the relevance of stigma-reducing interventions in clinical and community settings.
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