背景:来自医学和心理领域不同专业的卫生专业人员在饮食失调(ED)的诊断和治疗中发挥着重要作用。这项研究旨在找出有关诊断的知识差距,病因学,和ED的管理,并评估卫生专业人员对这些疾病的态度。
方法:开发并验证了新的问卷。在涉及ED管理的学科中工作的居民和顾问(即,内科,全科医生,精神病区,心理领域,和手术区)完成问卷。通过单向ANCOVA和卡方检验比较了研究组之间的知识和态度。
结果:问卷的最终版本包括54个项目,评估以下方面:污名,治疗,身体并发症,诊断,和ED的病因。对于所有卫生专业人员来说,最缺乏的领域是病因,而最好的是身体并发症的管理。所有医疗专业人员在病因学方面的知识都比精神科医生少,诊断,和ED的治疗。缺乏关于循证心理治疗的知识,一般精神病理学,和家庭成员在ED管理中的角色出现在所有卫生专业人员中。在非心理健康专业人员中发现了污名,他们认为这些患者与其他人不同,并对他们的异常饮食行为负责。
结论:澄清卫生专业人员在ED知识和对这些人的态度方面出现的具体差距,可能会为教育计划提供信息,以改善ED的早期发现和管理。
本文调查了卫生专业人员对饮食失调(ED)患者的态度以及对这些疾病的诊断和管理的了解。诊断知识的空白,病因,治疗首先出现在非心理健康专业人员中。心理治疗的有效性和家庭成员在治疗过程中的作用没有得到充分承认,导致ED发作的一般心理因素未被识别。态度受损主要在外科医生中观察到,尽管所有卫生专业人员都认为这些疾病与其他人不同,并认为这些人对他们的异常饮食行为负责。这些发现概述了与卫生专业人员有关的对ED的污名,并可能损害早期诊断和恢复。教育计划应旨在提供持续教育,以更新和提高卫生专业人员的ED知识。
BACKGROUND: Health professionals from different specialties in medical and psychological areas play an important role in diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders (EDs). This study aimed to identify gaps in knowledge about the diagnosis, etiology, and management of EDs and to assess health professionals\' attitudes towards these illnesses.
METHODS: A new questionnaire was developed and validated. Residents and consultants working in disciplines involved in the management of EDs (namely, internal medicine, general practitioners, psychiatric area, psychological area, and surgical area) completed the questionnaire. Knowledge and attitudes were compared among the study groups through one-way ANCOVA and chi-square tests.
RESULTS: The final version of the questionnaire consisted of 54 items assessing the following areas: stigma, treatment, physical complications, diagnosis, and aetiopathogenesis of EDs. For all health professionals the area of most deficiency was the aetiopathogenesis, while the best one was the management of physical complications. All medical professionals showed less knowledge than psychiatrists in terms of etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of EDs. A lack of knowledge about evidence-based psychotherapies, general psychopathology, and family members\' role in the management of EDs emerged among all health professionals. Stigma was found among non-mental health professionals who considered these patients to be different from others and responsible for their abnormal eating behaviors.
CONCLUSIONS: Clarifying the health professionals\' specific gaps occurring in the knowledge of EDs and in the attitudes towards these individuals may inform educational programs to improve early detection and management of EDs.
This article investigated attitudes towards individuals with eating disorders (EDs) and knowledge of the diagnosis and management of these illnesses among health professionals. A gap in the knowledge of diagnosis, aetiopathogenesis, and treatment emerged above all in non-mental health professionals. Psychotherapy effectiveness and the role of family members in the therapeutic process were not sufficiently acknowledged, and general psychological factors contributing to the onset of EDs were not recognized. Impaired attitudes were primarily observed among surgeons, although all health professionals considered these disorders as distinct from others and viewed these individuals as responsible for their abnormal eating behaviors. These findings outline a type of stigma towards EDs that is associated with health professionals and may impair early diagnosis and recovery. Educational programs should aim to provide continuous education to update and improve the knowledge of EDs among health professionals.