'My teacher saved my life' versus 'Teachers don't have a clue': An online survey of pupils' experiences of eating disorders

Pooky Knightsmith, Helen Sharpe, Olivia Breen, Janet Treasure, Ulrike Schmidt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Background: Eating disorders (ED) have a peak rate of onset in school-aged children. Little is known about pupils' experiences of ED within a school setting. Method: Five hundred and eleven 11- to 19-year-old school pupils completed an online questionnaire exploring their experiences of ED (72% female, 28% male). Responses were analysed using content analysis principles. Results: Of the participants, 38% had a current or past ED, 49% of these had never received a formal diagnosis. Of the respondents, 59% saw a need to raise ED awareness. Only 7% would confide in a teacher about an ED. Conclusions: Efforts are needed to break down barriers to disclosure and support teachers to play an effective role in the detection and early intervention for ED.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)131-137
Number of pages7
JournalChild and Adolescent Mental Health
Volume19
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • anorexia
  • binge-eating disorder
  • bulimia
  • eating disorders
  • school
  • teacher

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of ''My teacher saved my life' versus 'Teachers don't have a clue': An online survey of pupils' experiences of eating disorders'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this