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Table 3 Clinical Implications

From: “I’m not a teenager, I’m 22. Why can’t I snap out of it?”: a qualitative exploration of seeking help for a first-episode eating disorder during emerging adulthood

Predominant attitude towards help-seeking

Implications for help-seeking interventions

1. Symptom egosyntonicity

Focus on enhancing motivation to seek help (e.g. using motivational interviewing techniques)

Support family / friends to raise concerns and encourage placatory help-seeking

2. Gradual reappraisal

Focus on inter-relatedness of ED and other difficulties (e.g. low mood; physical health)

Increase awareness amongst professionals likely to have routine contact during transitions of increased openness to receiving help

Streamline registration/appointment-booking processes at likely help-seeking avenues (e.g. GP)

Encourage family/ friends to scaffold help-seeking (e.g. booking appointments)

3. Feelings of exclusion from eating disorder discourse

Focus on mapping negative effects of eating difficulties / clarifying preferred life directions, rather than slotting into diagnostic categories

Integrate help-seeking interventions with self-help resources

Communicate the importance of confidentiality

Facilitate circumnavigation of face-to-face communication (e.g. emails; texts) at likely help-seeking avenues