Eating disorders support for students
We’re undertaking a groundbreaking project to understand the provision of support for students with eating disorders across the UK, make national recommendations and identify possible new solutions.
Approximately 1 in 10 students may experience an eating disorder (1). Eating disorders are often misunderstood but can impact anyone – regardless of age or gender – and can have a huge impact on a young person’s life. Eating disorders involve a range of emotional and psychological challenges and commonly occur alongside psychological problems, such as those related to anxiety or depression. While an eating disorder can have a severe impact on a student’s quality of life, with the right help students can and do recover from eating disorders. We’ve met hundreds of incredible students that have done just that.
In recent years we have heard of substantial challenges experienced by students in ensuring quick access to specialist eating disorders care. Nationally, it is thought there may be gaps in specialist support for students experiencing eating disorders and there are reports of students being turned away from help due to increasingly limiting ‘thresholds’ for statutory services. However, we don’t currently have a comprehensive view of what this looks like.
We need to undertake research to truly understand the picture. That’s why we are working in partnership with academic partner King’s College London (KCL), specialist eating disorders charity First Steps ED, and a wider coalition of additional academic and charity partners to understand how to best support students experiencing eating difficulties in the academic environment. We have recently completed the first phase of the research where we heard from students and recent graduates about their experiences of managing an eating disorder while studying at university.
The success of this project, however, will be dependent on identifying the student services staff and professionals that support university students. We understand that professionals are working very hard to try and get students to the right care at the right time, and that it can be very frustrating and disheartening when this doesn’t go to plan. In order to gain a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the support services currently available, we need to hear from university staff with experience of supporting students with eating disorders. This might be in terms of providing or coordinating treatment or supporting students in a less formal capacity.
If you would like to be involved please fill out this short survey sharing your experience.
We hope you’ll join us on this important project to change thousands of people’s lives and prevent so many students from falling through the gaps and the grip of eating difficulties.
Approximately 1 in 10 students may experience an eating disorder (1). Eating disorders are often misunderstood but can impact anyone – regardless of age or gender – and can have a huge impact on a young person’s life. Eating disorders involve a range of emotional and psychological challenges and commonly occur alongside psychological problems, such as those related to anxiety or depression. While an eating disorder can have a severe impact on a student’s quality of life, with the right help students can and do recover from eating disorders. We’ve met hundreds of incredible students that have done just that.
In recent years we have heard of substantial challenges experienced by students in ensuring quick access to specialist eating disorders care. Nationally, it is thought there may be gaps in specialist support for students experiencing eating disorders and there are reports of students being turned away from help due to increasingly limiting ‘thresholds’ for statutory services. However, we don’t currently have a comprehensive view of what this looks like.
We need to undertake research to truly understand the picture. That’s why we are working in partnership with academic partner King’s College London (KCL), specialist eating disorders charity First Steps ED, and a wider coalition of additional academic and charity partners to understand how to best support students experiencing eating difficulties in the academic environment. We have recently completed the first phase of the research where we heard from students and recent graduates about their experiences of managing an eating disorder while studying at university.
The success of this project, however, will be dependent on identifying the student services staff and professionals that support university students. We understand that professionals are working very hard to try and get students to the right care at the right time, and that it can be very frustrating and disheartening when this doesn’t go to plan. In order to gain a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the support services currently available, we need to hear from university staff with experience of supporting students with eating disorders. This might be in terms of providing or coordinating treatment or supporting students in a less formal capacity.
If you would like to be involved please fill out this short survey sharing your experience.
We hope you’ll join us on this important project to change thousands of people’s lives and prevent so many students from falling through the gaps and the grip of eating difficulties.
(1) More than 1 in 10 young people may experience an eating disorder. References: Stice, Marti & Rohde, 2013, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122, 445-457; Eisenberg et al. (2011), J American College Health, 59, 700-707.
Further information:
Are you a student with experience of eating difficulties?
Thank you for reading about this project. We know that it’s not easy to hear that many fellow students are experiencing difficulties. We have recently completed the first phase of the research where we heard from students and recent graduates about their experiences of managing an eating disorder while studying at university.
If you are experiencing eating difficulties, please visit here for information and resources, and recommendations on support available. You can also find out how to support a friend with an Eating Disorder and read students' experiences of eating difficulties at university on the Student Minds Blog.
If you are experiencing eating difficulties, please visit here for information and resources, and recommendations on support available. You can also find out how to support a friend with an Eating Disorder and read students' experiences of eating difficulties at university on the Student Minds Blog.
Who is involved in this research project and how is it funded?
We’re delighted to be working in collaboration with a range of organisations on this project. An eating disorder expert advisory group bringing together experts from a range of charities, academic departments and services will be announced shortly. Having provided peer support for students with eating difficulties for several years, Student Minds are leading this project, delivering the research through our partners at King’s College, London. We will be working in partnership with First Steps ED, a charity that was commissioned to deliver one of the first city-wide NHS specialist eating disorders services for students in the two Nottingham Universities which has gone on to be provided in a number of other East Midlands Universities and Colleges. Representatives from both charities met to explore the potential to collaborate thanks to introductions through the King’s Fund and GSK charity award scheme. Together, we will map national provision with our expert Eating Disorders advisory group and the help of university partners and undertake data analysis from the First Steps ED, Eating Disorders In Student Services (EDISS).
We would like to thank GSK for a donation of £25,000 to undertake this project. At Student Minds across all of our work our funders do not have any input into the research process or recommendations made.
We would like to thank GSK for a donation of £25,000 to undertake this project. At Student Minds across all of our work our funders do not have any input into the research process or recommendations made.
How will this study be ethically approved?
Student Minds are leading this project, delivering the research through our partners at Kings College London. Two MSc students at King's College London will be supervised by Dr Nicola Byrom between January and July 2020 to deliver the interviews for this project. Please download the KCL research participation information sheet, which has been approved by the KCL ethics review panel.
How will you ensure that this leads to meaningful change and improvements?
We are undertaking this project to achieve tangible improvements for students. The engagement of students and professionals throughout will be key to achieving this change. We wouldn’t be doing this project unless we were fully committed to seeing this through into tangible changes. That is why we’ve designed this project in a way that it will go beyond only telling us the problems, but will also identify potential solutions with current students. The key output of this project will be an easy to use report for the Higher Education and health sectors summarising all of our findings and making clear recommendations to help improve the support available for students with eating disorders.
This report will be presented to representatives at NHS England and other bodies with key roles in influencing the commissioning of eating disorders services across the UK. Student Minds has a successful track record in similar projects, find out more about our impact.
This report will be presented to representatives at NHS England and other bodies with key roles in influencing the commissioning of eating disorders services across the UK. Student Minds has a successful track record in similar projects, find out more about our impact.