The role of stigma in older adults’ beliefs about and attitudes towards eating disorders and help seeking

Eating disorders (ED) are commonly believed to be a young person’s problem, and neglect of older people in the literature has perpetuated this belief. In younger people, there can be a reluctance to seek help due to feelings of shame and stigma. In this study, we asked adults in later life about their beliefs and attitudes about ED to explore whether these same mechanisms might account for older people not presenting to services. Twenty-one women and men gave us their thoughts through semi-structured interviews which were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. From the data, four themes were identified: us and them; shame, stigma and embarrassment; control; and help-seeking. Our participants described several factors impacting on help-seeking including shame and stigma, lack of faith in health care professionals, and societal and self-determined ageism. Recommendations for practice are considered.