Journal of Eating Disorders最新文献

{"title":"Understanding the child and adolescent eating disorder treatment experiences of autistic people and parents.","authors":"Colleen Alford, Andrew Wallis, Phillipa Hay, Deborah Mitchison","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01331-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01331-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"128"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12232722/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144576639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A qualitative investigation of the factors influencing eating disorder symptomology during the postpartum period.","authors":"Chantelle Ecob, Debbie M Smith, Zoe Tsivos, Sarah Peters","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01295-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01295-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The perinatal period can be a challenging time for women with current or historical eating disorder (ED) experience. Maternal EDs are associated with risks to both the mother and the child. During pregnancy, women are more likely to disengage with ED behaviours for the good of their growing baby. However, the postpartum period is a particularly risky period for the re-emergence or worsening of ED behaviours, irrespective of women's pre-pregnancy ED status. Little is known about the factors which influence ED symptomology during the postpartum period. The aim of this study was to develop an understanding of the factors operating in the postpartum experience that influence ED symptomology.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 women who had experience of an ED before becoming pregnant. Interview took place during or after the postpartum period, with women reflecting specifically on the postpartum period. Interviews were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four themes were developed within the interview data; (1) Embracing the self, (2) Motherhood: an ED enabler or protector?, (3) ED as a 'plaster' for emotional distress, and (4) The influential voices of others. Theme 1 captures participants' reports of the primary ED recovery facilitator, with a focus on self-awareness, self-understanding, self-compassion, and self-identity. Themes 2-4 describe a 'triangle of powers' which interacted with one another to influence participants' ED symptomology both positively and negatively during the postpartum period.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A new model is proposed which predicts that ED symptomology during the postpartum period is influenced by a complex interaction between various internal and external factors. Health care professionals encountering women with EDs during the perinatal period should be aware of these factors, to provide attuned and individualised care and improve outcomes for mothers and babies. Increased awareness how EDs may present during the postpartum period is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"127"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12232848/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144576637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hospitalizations in adolescents with anorexia nervosa in Spain over two decades.","authors":"Vicente Soriano, José Manuel Ramos, Manuel Faraco, Lucía Gallego, María Inés López-Ibor, Carlos Chiclana-Actis, Eduardo González-Fraile, Gemma Mestre-Bach, Héctor Pinargote, Manuel Corpas, Octavio Corral, Hilario Blasco-Fontecilla","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01322-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01322-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a leading mental disorder among adolescents and is associated with impaired physical health and disruption of psychosocial functioning. Knowing the major determinants and trends of AN in youth are critical for earlier diagnosis and prompt interventions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively examined all hospitalizations in Spain with AN among children and adolescents aged 11 to 18 years, using data from the National Registry of Hospital Discharges spanning 2000 to 2021. We adhered to the RECORD guidelines for reporting observational routinely collected health data. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v25.0.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over the 22-year study period, there were 2,015,589 hospitalizations among adolescents in Spain, with 118,609 (5.9%) cases involving mental disorders. There were 15,338 admissions with AN, representing 12.9% of all hospitalizations with mental disorders in youth. Admissions with AN were 5.2-fold more frequent than with bulimia nervosa. Admissions with AN significantly declined from 20.7% in 2000 to 5.2% in 2021. Median age at hospitalizations with AN was 15 years-old. Girls represented 90%. The median length of hospital stay was 14 days. The in-hospital mortality rate was 0.15%, being significantly more frequent in boys than girls. Other mental disorders were present in 15% of AN admissions. After the first year of COVID-19, admissions of adolescents with AN sharply increased by 89%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>AN is an important cause of hospitalization in adolescents with mental disorders in Spain. Girls represent 90% of AN admissions. Whereas the rate of AN hospitalizations declined since year 2000, a surge of admissions in adolescents with AN occurred after the first year of COVID-19. Median age has remained fairly stable around 15-years-old over two decades. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a leading mental disorder among adolescents. We examined all hospitalizations in adolescents with AN in Spain since year 2000 using a nationwide public database. There were over two million admissions in adolescents during the study period, of which 6% involved mental disorders. AN represented 13% of such cases. Median age at hospitalizations with AN was 15 years-old. Girls represented 90%. Admissions with AN significantly declined over time. However, a sharp increase was noticed after the COVID-19 pandemic. This information may guide educational policies and improve preventive strategies at schools and earlier therapeutic interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"125"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12219436/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Medical management and differential diagnosis of restrictive eating disorders in men: a case study report with co-produced recommendations.","authors":"James Downs, Clive Kelly","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01250-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01250-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Males with eating disorders (EDs) are an underrepresented population whose symptomatology and treatment needs are poorly understood, having been overlooked in clinical research to date. The role of gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastroparesis, in the context of restrictive EDs is similarly under-explored. Making use of emerging evidence regarding conditions that co-occur with severe EDs to consider potential differential diagnoses in cases of complex and uncertain symptomatology can assist in providing more individualised and empathetic care, preventing avoidable outcomes, including death.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>The case of a male patient with a longstanding history of restrictive eating and diagnosis of anorexia nervosa is presented. After hospital admission, they developed severe complications, including aspiration pneumonia. Despite medical interventions, the patient's complex presentation and the lack of individualised treatment options contributed to the tragic outcome of death. A postmortem diagnosis revealed gastroparesis, a condition that had gone undetected during his life. Prior to his death, the patient had presented with symptoms overlapping with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and neurodivergence, which are worth considering for how they may have played a role in complicating the clinical picture and making diagnosis and treatment more challenging.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The case illustrates the value of exploring differential diagnoses when providing individualised and comprehensive treatment for ED patients with diverse symptomatology and identities. Even where diagnoses of co-occurring conditions do not apply, traditional research and knowledge from lived experience show how adopting an integrative stance is valuable for all patients. Specifically, there is an urgent need for improved treatment protocols for males with restrictive EDs, which accommodate co-occurring conditions like gastroparesis and possible differential diagnoses such as ARFID and neurodivergent conditions. Recommendations are given for how providers can implement gender-specific treatment, comprehensive assessments, and a multidisciplinary approach. Co-creating knowledge with patients themselves is central to achieving more empathetic, well-fitting, and effective treatment that appreciates the complexities of overlapping physical and psychological conditions, and ultimately reduces the risk of preventable deaths.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"124"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12220133/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecological momentary interventions for eating disorders: a systematic review of the nascent science and recommendations for future research.","authors":"Macarena Kruger, Jianyi Liu, Haley Graver, Stephanie Manasse, Elizabeth A Velkoff","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01329-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01329-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) deliver real-time, technology-based support in everyday settings. They have been used as standalone treatments or adjuncts to traditional care, with growing but still limited evidence supporting their effectiveness. EMIs offer a method for reducing barriers to care such as high costs, stigma, and limited access to providers - issues particularly relevant to eating disorder (ED) treatment, given the expense of inpatient care and the scarcity of specialized providers. This review examines existing research on EMIs for ED treatment, their design and content, and directions for future research.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a systematic review of EMI studies for EDs using PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Following screening for eligibility, we extracted data on study population, EMI design, and outcomes. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Quality Assessment Tool (EPHPP).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our search identified 279 unique studies, of which eight met inclusion criteria. EMI notification content, timing, and delivery method varied across studies. Most studies included self-report or monitoring measures (7/8; 87.5%) to inform momentary delivery of tailored interventions. The effectiveness of EMIs showed mixed results. Of the two randomized-controlled trials included, both investigated EMIs as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and found that EMIs did not significantly enhance symptom reduction or skill acquisition beyond CBT alone. Studies testing EMI for maintaining treatment gains reported improvement in remission rates and symptom reduction, but poor adherence makes these results difficult to interpret. The average quality rating of the studies included was moderate.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Given the limited number of studies, we cannot draw broad conclusions about EMI effectiveness. We identified key gaps to address in future research, including examining moderators and mechanisms of EMI efficacy, refining EMI design to reduce participant burden, leveraging advanced technology for greater personalization of interventions, and recruiting larger and more diverse samples. Addressing these gaps will help clarify EMIs' potential role in improving ED treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"122"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12217200/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Healing at the intersections through lyric, beat and rhyme.","authors":"Sumedha Verma","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01222-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01222-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The voices and experiences of diverse people and communities are systemically marginalised and neglected from mental health literature, policy and practice; this is a time of need, and we must move with the times. Taking a critical, intersectional lens to mental health focusing especially on eating disorders, this piece offers an imaginative commentary on healing and recovery experiences that lie alongside, and often outside of, traditional frameworks which remain White, hyper-medicalised and restrictive. I make a case for centring selfhood and belonging at the core of recovery, and explicate how identification, connectedness and healing processes can be facilitated through art. I reference several musical works by Black and Brown female artists as sources of personal resonance, presenting avenues for mirroring, cultural connection, hope and homecoming essential to healing and wellbeing. I conclude that intersectional experiences of eating disorders require intersectional approaches that honour the complexity, tenacity and strength of all people, kin and communities. This piece implores readers to think deep and wide about being, helping and healing beyond bounds.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"121"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12211260/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Indirect association between childhood maltreatment and food and alcohol disturbance through insecure attachment in university students.","authors":"Ludivine Ritz, Nicolas Mauny, Charlotte Montcharmont, Ninon Dessommes, Denis Jacquet, Maud Lemercier-Dugarin","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01321-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01321-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Food and Alcohol Disturbance (FAD) is characterized by a functional relationship between disordered eating behaviors and problematic alcohol use. Childhood adversity has been found to be associated with FAD, but its potential impacts on attachment profiles and FAD behaviors have never been examined. The present study tests a model in which insecure attachment mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and FAD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>University students (N = 629) participated in the study, completing questionnaires on FAD, childhood maltreatment history, and adult attachment. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediated effect of childhood maltreatment through attachment on FAD behaviors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Insecure attachment and childhood maltreatment were related; however, only insecure attachment was directly related to FAD behaviors. A history of childhood maltreatment was indirectly related to FAD, mediated by insecure attachment. Attachment insecurity, particularly preoccupied and fearful patterns, was directly related to FAD behaviors in students and mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and FAD.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings may explain how early experiences of child maltreatment can be related to attachment style, and later, in adulthood, influence FAD behaviors in students. Clinicians should adapt treatment and preventions strategies to help patients transition from insecure attachment to a more secure pattern and regulate their negative emotions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"126"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12220335/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Resistance training is an underused and promising tool in eating disorder recovery: a narrative review.","authors":"Victoria Bongiorno, Martica Heaner","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01305-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01305-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Individuals with eating disorders may experience reduced bone mineral density and muscle mass, lower quality of life, and debilitating psychopathology. Abstinence from exercise has historically been recommended in the treatment of eating disorders. However, evidence shows that well-planned, supervised exercise can be safe and beneficial. Resistance training is an exercise modality of particular interest because of its ability to protect bone and muscle mass, in addition to its mental health and quality of life benefits. The purpose of this narrative review is to examine the use of resistance training in the treatment of eating disorders to determine whether its incorporation in treatment programs should be recommended.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A search of the literature was conducted via PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Sage Journal. Articles published before the final database search (March 22nd, 2025) were considered.</p><p><strong>Inclusion criteria: </strong>Studies must examine how the use of resistance training affects people with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder, and must be published in English. Both quantitative and qualitative literature were included.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 17 studies were examined. Quantitative research revealed significant improvements in body composition, strength, and quality of life when resistance training was included in treatment. The available evidence suggests that higher loading is well-tolerated and is more effective than low loading at improving body composition. Qualitative research demonstrated participants' positive attitudes toward the use of resistance training during treatment. The participants reported improved relationships with exercise, citing the emphasis on building strength as an empowering motivator that deemphasizes weight loss.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In combination with a multidisciplinary team including a dietitian, psychologist, and medical provider, resistance training has the potential to play an important role in improving psychopathology, quality of life, and body composition in patients with eating disorders. More research is needed in this area before its inclusion in treatment can be confidently recommended. Plain english summary People with eating disorders experience reduced bone mineral density muscle mass, and report low quality of life. Although abstinence from exercise has historically been recommended in the treatment of eating disorders, its intentional application may confer meaningful benefits to both physical and mental health. Resistance training is a modality that shows promise for improving many eating disorder symptoms, including protecting and increasing bone and muscle health and improving quality of life.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"123"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12220358/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The feasibility, acceptability and clinical impact of a guided self-help mobile intervention (INTERconNEcT-EDs) for individuals with eating disorders: protocol for two multicenter randomized controlled trials.","authors":"Gianluca Lo Coco, Gaia Albano, Salvatore Gullo, Valentina Cardi, Cristina Segura-Garcia","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01320-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01320-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Treatments for eating disorders (EDs) are marked by high rates of relapses and can be ineffective for almost one in two people. It has been suggested that digital self-help might enhance treatment engagement, retention and efficacy in this patient group. A novel guided self-help mobile intervention (i.e. INTERconNEcT-EDs) to target psychological distress and eating psychopathology in young adults with ED symptoms has been developed. INTERconNEct-EDs is an online, eight-week, guided self-help (GSH) program based on an integrated approach which combines elements of psychoeducation, behaviour change and interpersonal therapy tailored to individual's interpersonal difficulties.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) will be conducted to examine the acceptability, feasibility and impact of INTERconNEcT-EDs on a range of psychological outcomes of outpatients with eating disorders or people in the community with symptoms of disordered eating, in Italy. In the first RCT, 172 adult outpatients with EDs from two public clinical services will be recruited and randomised to treatment as usual (TAU) alone or TAU plus INTERconNEcT-EDs. The primary outcome will be patient psychological distress. Secondary outcomes will include eating disorder psychopathology, interpersonal distress, quality of life, motivation to adhere to standard treatment and INTERconNEcT-EDs, emotion dysregulation, and patient satisfaction, at end of the eight-week treatment and 3-month follow-up. In the second RCT, 70 adult individuals from the community with symptoms of disordered eating (measured by a self-report) will be randomised to receiving INTERconNEcT-EDs or a waiting list condition. The primary and secondary outcomes are identical to those of the first RCT. Moreover, participant's service use will be recorded at the end of the eight-week protocol. INTERconNEcT-EDs consists of psychoeducational workbooks, video-clips, weekly themed, and synchronous forum groups facilitated by individuals recovered from an ED. Participants randomised to TAU + INTERconNEcT-EDs in the first trial will also receive weekly online interpersonal group sessions. Group sessions will be tailored to target individual's interpersonal difficulties, as measured by the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems at baseline.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The results of this study will determine the feasibility and clinical impact of a novel eating disorder transdiagnostic self-help intervention with the potential of broad reach and scalability.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT06551974.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"119"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12183907/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144477430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Re-imagining connection: the role of late autism diagnosis in eating disorder recovery and social support.","authors":"James Downs, Marissa Adams","doi":"10.1186/s40337-025-01271-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40337-025-01271-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper explores the complex relationship between autism, social connection, and eating disorder recovery, drawing on the lived experiences of two late-diagnosed autistic adults with histories of longstanding and severe eating disorders. Using narrative and autoethnographic methods, we examine how delayed autism diagnosis intersects with the social dimensions of illness, and the process of treatment and recovery. We identify unique barriers autistic individuals with eating disorders face in building meaningful social connections, navigating support systems, and accessing appropriate care. By integrating personal insights with existing research, we advocate for earlier autism screening and neurodiversity-affirming treatment approaches that embrace and value autistic differences, including the strengths inherent in neurodivergence. This requires a shift in how social support is conceptualised within eating disorder care, prioritising the creation of meaningful connections that address the unique social and emotional needs of autistic individuals. We argue for clinical practices that not only recognise the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals but also embrace the strengths they bring, fostering environments where autistic individuals can engage authentically in their recovery process. This approach ultimately benefits patients and treatment providers alike, promoting more inclusive, empathetic, and effective care for all.</p>","PeriodicalId":48605,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Eating Disorders","volume":"13 1","pages":"120"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12183921/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144477429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}