MORE SERVICES REQUIRED: Most teens with eating disorders aren’t getting proper treatment
Most teens struggling with eating disorders aren’t pursuing treatment for their specific conditon, a new study by the National Institute of Mental Health reveals. About 3% of teens in the U.S. are affected by the condition, according to the study published in The Archives of General Psychiatry.
The study analyzed data from 10,000 face-to-face surveys of teens age 13 to 18. About one in five were affected with some type of mental disorder and the NIMH said that “a substantial portion” of these aren’t receiving treatment, either.
The most prevalent eating disorders found in the study were binge eating (1.6%); bulimia (.9%) and anorexia (.3%). Another .8% had threshold anorexia.
The highest rates of bulimia were among Hispanics. The highest rates of anorexia were among Whites.
“The findings clearly underscore the need for better access to treatment specifically for eating disorders,” the NIMH said.
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We’ve featured therapists from around the country who specialize in sports psychology, either as a part of their practice or all of it. Now, the American Psychological Association’s Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology) is launching a new magazine for practitioners in this niche.
It will debut in spring 2012.
The publication will focus not only on athletics but performance enhancement in general, including people who work in the arts. This is a direction that many therapists have taken with this specialty. In that context, many are even selling their services to small businesses and large corporations.
The magazine, Sport, Exercise & Performance will be edited by Jeffrey Martin, of Wayne State University in Detroit. He’s had experience on both sides of the couch — he has run in 40 marathons around the world and won 12 of them, according to the March edition of the APA Monitor on Psychology.