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.
Keywords: Anorexia; binge-eating disorder; bulimia; eating disorders; school; teacher.
© 2013 The Authors. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. © 2013 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.