Online counselling for eating disorders: Reaching an underserved population?

Abstract

BackgroundA substantial proportion of individuals suffering from eating disorders (ED) seek help late and many never access treatment. Internet-based services may have the potential to reach these underserved individuals by providing low-intense support and facilitating access to regular healthcare.MethodTwo hundred and thirty-eight individuals who used a counselling service for ED via email and/or moderated forums were surveyed. Acceptance of the service, users' satisfaction, utilization of other services, and attitudes towards Internet-based interventions were assessed.ResultsParticipants reported substantial ED symptoms (67.4% reported bingeing, 42.2% self-induced vomiting, and 18.0% a body mass index below 17.5). Both forum and email counselling were rated very positively. More than half of the participants (57.3%) stated that this was the first time they ever accessed professional help. Half of these reported that they engaged in additional services after registering for the online program and most of them stated that they would have not done so without the online service.DiscussionThe Internet-based service proved well-accepted in the target group. It reaches a substantial percentage of individuals with ED-related impairment that would have stayed without any professional support otherwise. The service also facilitated access to the regular healthcare system for a subgroup of participants.