About this resource
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that affect how people eat and how they feel about food, weight and their body. They are not a choice or a phase. They can affect people of any age, gender, body size or background, and you cannot tell by looking at someone. This handout explains common signs, what helps and gives space for a personal plan.
Purpose
To give clear, accurate information about eating disorders and what helps.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Allied health and multidisciplinary teams. Also relevant for psychologists, counsellors and therapists, youth workers.
Client or participant group: People living with eating disorders, and their families and supporters.
Practice setting: Counselling, psychology and mental health services, as part of psychoeducation.
Suggested uses
- Psychoeducation after diagnosis
- Helping someone decide to seek assessment
- Sessions with family or supporters
- Goal setting and treatment planning
Instructions for practitioners
- Check what the person already knows and has been told.
- Go through the handout together, linking it to their own experience.
- Choose one or two things to try first.
- Talk with the person's GP or treating team about assessment, diagnosis and medication.
- Complete a risk assessment conversation where needed.
Instructions for clients or participants
- Read this with your practitioner or someone you trust.
- Tick the things that sound like you.
- Write down questions for your practitioner or doctor.
Accessibility considerations
Plain language. Can be read aloud or worked through with an interpreter or supporter.
Scope and limitations
General psychoeducation. It is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace assessment or treatment by a doctor, psychiatrist or other qualified clinician. Questions about medication should go to the prescribing doctor.
Higher-risk topic: use only within your training, supervision and organisational procedures.
Research basis
Australian guidelines describe eating disorders as serious conditions that need medical monitoring alongside psychological treatment, including family-based treatment for young people.
- Hay, P., Chinn, D., Forbes, D., Madden, S., Newton, R., Sugenor, L., Touyz, S., & Ward, W. (2014). Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(11), 977–1008. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867414555814
What is included
A 3-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced. Written for Practitioner Plus from the guidelines and research listed in the research basis; no third-party handout was used.
