{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,12]],"date-time":"2025-12-12T08:46:41Z","timestamp":1765529201087,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":60,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,12]],"date-time":"2025-12-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1765497600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan University Development Foundation","award":["02025011017767"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["02025011017767"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental health conditions often beginning in adolescence and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although previous research has focused on medical staff, little is known about how EDs are recognised and managed by non-medical mental health professionals within community-based systems. This study examined their awareness, knowledge, and stigmatising beliefs toward EDs in T\u00fcrkiye, highlighting implications for training and policy development. Methods: A study-specific questionnaire adapted from a validated tool previously used with general practitioners was administered to 42 non-medical professionals (95.2% female; mean age = 33.2 \u00b1 5.6 years) working in community mental health services in Ankara, T\u00fcrkiye. Participants were randomly assigned to one of six clinical vignettes depicting a young person with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant\/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), depression, or type-1 diabetes. The questionnaire assessed illness perception, causal attributions, emotional reactions, professional knowledge, and stigmatising beliefs. Results: Only 28.6% (n = 12) correctly identified the disorder in their assigned vignette. BED had the highest diagnostic accuracy (50%), while AN and ARFID were most frequently misidentified. Participants commonly believed that EDs mainly affected females, had a short duration, and were less responsive to treatment. Stigmatising beliefs\u2014such as personal blame\u2014were also noted. Conclusions: Findings revealed limited awareness and knowledge of EDs\u2014particularly AN and ARFID\u2014among non-medical mental health professionals. Misconceptions that EDs are self-inflicted may delay recognition and referral. The results underscore the need for targeted education, anti-stigma interventions, and integration of ED content into professional training to improve early detection and community-based support.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu17243878","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,12]],"date-time":"2025-12-12T08:30:17Z","timestamp":1765528217000},"page":"3878","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Perspectives of Non-Medical Professionals Working in a Mental Health Service on Eating Disorders: Awareness, Knowledge, and Stigmatisation"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1325-446X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hakan","family":"\u00d6\u011f\u00fctl\u00fc","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapies Association, Ankara 06680, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8432-7566","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"U\u011fur","family":"Tekeo\u011flu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan University, Rize 53100, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9428-6908","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fiona","family":"McNicholas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"205","article-title":"The prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) and comorbid psychiatric disorders in adolescents: A two-stage community-based study","volume":"22","author":"Vardar","year":"2011","journal-title":"Turk. 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