Stigma in Clinical Psychology Trainees: Bias Towards Eating Disorders on the Basis of Weight Variance and the Mediating Influence of Personal Psychological Traits

Abstract

Personal biases exhibited by mental health professionals can adversely affect treatment outcomes (Servais & Saunders, 2007; Currin, Waller, & Schmidt, 2009). Eating disorders are often stigmatized and ultimately marginalized even within professional realms, thereby presenting (1) an unnecessary barrier to treatment and (2) adverse consequences for affected individuals (Hackler, Vogel, & Wade, 2010; Roehrig & McLean, 2010; Ebneter, Latner, & O'Brien, 2011; Walker & Lloyd, 2011). Conjunctively, the presence of weight discrimination has increased drastically in recent years. (Bannon, Hunter-Reel, Wilson, & Karlin, 2009). This study assessed levels of weight-related and eating disorder-related stigma in a sample of clinical psychology doctoral students.