Background
Eating disorders (EDs) afect individuals across all genders, but men remain underrepresented in ED treatment settings. Stigma related to EDs in men may impede help-seeking, particularly for symptoms that deviate from traditional masculine ideals. This study investigates whether stigma-related perceptions of EDs in men specifcally moderate the association between disordered eating symptoms and help-seeking intentions in men, i.e., whether there is a gender-specifc component of ED stigma.
Methods
In a cross-sectional survey, n = 242 men and n = 249 women completed questionnaires on various disordered eating symptoms (“traditional” thinness-oriented, muscularity-oriented, orthorexic, and avoidant/restrictive eating behaviors), stigma-related perceptions of EDs in men, and help-seeking intentions. Moderator analyses were conducted by gender to explore interactions between symptom severity and stigma in predicting help-seeking intentions.
Results
Help-seeking intentions increased with the severity of disordered eating symptoms in both men and women, except for avoidant/restrictive eating behavior in both genders and muscularity-oriented symptoms in men. Stigma-related perceptions of EDs in men moderated the association between symptoms and help-seeking intentions in men, which was exclusively the case for “feminized” ED symptoms (i.e., thinness and weight concerns). No moderation efects were observed for other symptom domains or among women.
Conclusions
Results support the notion of a gender-specifc role of stigma in men’s help-seeking behaviors for EDs. Such stigma, which seems to be related to “feminized” ED symptoms, may contribute to men’s reluctance to seek help for EDs. These fndings emphasize the need for interventions tailored to reduce stigma, particularly regarding men’s experiences of EDs, to support equal access to healthcare.
Plain English Summary
Eating disorders are generally considered to be a “women's disease”, but statistics show that more men are afected. Women, and to a greater extent men, are less likely to seek help for an eating disorder from healthcare services. Stigma seems to be a barrier, according to previous research. In this study, we investigated whether there is a potential gender-specifc efect of stigma of eating disorders (i.e. among others EDs as “women's disorders”) on men’s help-seeking. We found that stigma was associated with reduced help-seeking among men for eating disorder-related symptoms consistent with a stereotypical 'feminized' construction of eating disorders, but not among women. Stigma thus appears to be associated with reduced use of healthcare services for eating disorders, whereby men may face gender-specifc challenges. This calls for further eforts to reduce eating disorder stigma.