College students’ perceptions of individuals with anorexia nervosa: irritation and admiration

Abstract

Background: Stigmatizing attitudes against anorexia nervosa (AN) may act as barriers to treatment.

Aims: Evaluated college students’ perceptions of AN as compared to major depressive disorder (MDD).

Method: One-hundred two female undergraduates read vignettes describing targets with mild or severe MDD or AN, then rated biological, vanity, and self-responsibility attributions; feelings of admiration, sympathy, and anger; and behavioral dispositions toward coercion into treatment, imitation, and social distance.

Results: AN was perceived more negatively than MDD in terms of vanity attributions, self-responsibility attributions, and feelings of anger, but more positively in terms of admiration and imitation.

Conclusions: This research demonstrates stigma-related mixed messages received by individuals with AN, which might be useful in improving eating disorders mental health literacy.

• Anorexia nervosa
• attribution theory
• stigma

Declaration of interest

Funding was provided by the Marquette University Honors Program. MUHP had no role in the study design, data collection/analysis, or decision to submit the paper for publication.