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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV0496

Ethnic inequalities in access to eating disorder services: perspectives of young service users

ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN EATING DISORDER SERVICE ACCESS: PERSPECTIVES FROM YOUNG SERVICE USERS

For young service users from ethnic minority backgrounds, ethnicity-related alienation, lack of knowledge, shame and stigma, and inconsistent service provision are key barriers to accessing eating disorder services.

The study aimed to understand the experiences of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds in accessing specialist eating disorder services (SEDS), the barriers to seeking help, and their experiences of receiving treatment within these services in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom. The rationale was that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric conditions and that ethnic differences in access have not been sufficiently explored in the UK context. A qualitative design was used, with semi-structured interviews conducted with 7 service users aged 16 to 25, and the data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis approach. Seven themes were generated: ethnicity-related alienation; physical complications of the eating disorder as a pathway to services; lack of knowledge about eating disorders; experiences of shame and stigma that hinder access to care; social support from family and friends; cultural and religious factors; and inconsistent provision of care for ethnic minority patients across services. These themes were classified as barriers and facilitators: ethnicity-related alienation, lack of knowledge about eating disorders, shame and stigma, and inconsistent service provision were identified as barriers; physical complications leading to referral to SEDS and social support from family and friends were identified as facilitators; and cultural and religious factors were positioned as both. A model of the relationships between themes showed that inconsistent service provision and ethnicity-related alienation, together with a lack of social support, stigma and shame, and cultural and religious factors, contributed to suppressing acknowledgement of the eating disorder's existence. The ethnic composition of the West Midlands population was presented for comparison (White 71.80%, Asian 13.30%, Black 4.50%, Mixed 3.00%, Other 2.10%). To improve access, the authors recommend outreach activities demonstrating that services are available to all population groups, raising awareness through online resources, and ensuring equitable access through culturally responsive practices, such as a wider range of food options. Limitations included the small, all-female sample, the representation of only four ethnic backgrounds, and the fact that participants had diagnoses only of anorexia nervosa or other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED). Further qualitative research involving more participants from different regions, ethnic backgrounds, and genders was recommended.

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