Clinicians as barriers
People presenting for assessment are often fearful of being
judged or criticised. These fears are not unfounded
as it has been repeatedly demonstrated that attitudes of
health professionals, including mental health specialists
towards EDs, are not always positive [22], and are no
more empathic than those of non-professionals [23].
Negative professional attitudes may arise through lack of
training or experience [24], inadequate resources and
work pressure, and genuinely held stereotypes about AN
being a personal choice. These factors can contribute to
AN being seen as a disorder with relatively low prestige
by health care professionals [25]. Training and support
strategies may go some way to counter these effects. As
clinical experience decreases the likelihood of negative
reactions, services significantly benefit from retaining
highly skilled staff.