Barriers and facilitators of help-seeking for eating, weight, and shape concerns among college students.

Abstract<bold>Objective:</bold> Prevalence of disordered eating among college students is concerning, but professional help-seeking rates are low. This study examined barriers and facilitators of help-seeking for eating, weight, and shape concerns in this population. <bold>Participants:</bold> A non-clinical sample of undergraduates (<italic>N</italic> = 134; 64.7% females; 63.9% White; 61.7% freshman) were recruited from a research pool. <bold>Methods:</bold> Participants reported on help-seeking barriers, facilitators, intentions, and behaviors, as well as disordered eating, anxiety, and depression. <bold>Results:</bold> Commonly endorsed facilitators of help-seeking for disordered eating included desire to get better and other mental health issues. Commonly endorsed barriers highlighted themes of self-reliance. Recent and lifetime help-seeking behaviors suggested preferences for informal sources of help. Greater disordered eating predicted more endorsed facilitators of help-seeking, whereas greater depression predicted more endorsed barriers. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Findings—highlighting self-reliance and preferences for informal sources of help—can facilitate efforts to better serve students who may be experiencing disordered eating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]