Beyond Invisible: Confronting the Policy and Practice Void in Eating Disorder Prevention and Treatment for Indigenous...

Indigenous populations internationally experience eating disorders (EDs) at similar or higher rates than colonizing majority populations. In Canada, emerging evidence suggests that this is also true among First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) populations. However, most existing recommendations and best practices for ED prevention, early intervention, and treatment do not consider unique contextual and cultural factors that are relevant to FNMI Peoples, such as the effects of historical and ongoing colonialism. This scoping review aimed to map policy-related documents on the prevention, early intervention, and treatment of EDs among FNMI Peoples. We searched academic databases and targeted websites for ED policies, reports, toolkits, guidelines, and fact sheets. Targeted searches included the websites of Indigenous health authorities (e.g., National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health) and community websites, ED-specific organizations (e.g., National Eating Disorder Information Centre), and health professional associations (e.g., Canadian Psychological Association). We found only two relevant documents: one commentary serving as a call to action and one education resource for people experiencing EDs or disordered eating and their family members. Both documents were led by Indigenous authors with lived experience of EDs and were published by the National Eating Disorder Information Centre. In the absence of wider guidance on prevention, early intervention, and treatment among FNMI populations, health professionals may face challenges when providing effective and culturally responsive care. This review illustrates the infancy of the policy landscape related to the prevention, early intervention, and treatment of EDs for FNMI populations in Canada.