Screening for Eating Disorders on College Campuses: a Review of the Recent Literature

Abstract

This paper provides a review of the recent literature on screening for eating disorders (EDs) on college campuses, and reports on methodology, prevalence rates, treatment receipt, and ED screening tools. Recent research highlights relatively high prevalence rates of EDs among students on college campuses, with the majority of studies demonstrating elevated prevalence compared to the general population. Among students who screened positive for an ED, approximately 20% or less reported having received treatment for their ED. Findings also revealed various recruitment strategies, methods, ED screening tools, and clinical cutoffs used to study this topic, making it challenging to draw firm conclusions about prevalence of EDs on college campuses. Recent research on ED screening on college campuses reveals that EDs are a significant problem among college students, and there is a marked treatment gap between those who need care and those who receive it. Implications and future research are discussed.