National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is February 26 ? March 4, 2024: New Survey Shows 3 out of 4 Americans Believe Virtual Treatment Effective for Eating Disorders
With 28 million Americans estimated to have an eating disorder in their lifetime, a new survey has found that 82% of Gen Z, 79% of Millennials and 64% of Baby Boomers feel that an eating disorder is a mental health condition that can be treated virtually. These new findings, in a survey sponsored by Alsana and announced before National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, February 26 ? March 4, 2024, suggests a majority of people are open to virtual care as their mental health treatment of choice. 73% of adults say they think that virtual treatment would help someone with a mental health condition, including an eating disorder.
Furthermore, Alsana's 2022 Treatment Outcomes Report shows that patients who were treated virtually have equal or better results than those who were treated in person. For example, 2% more virtual patients experience a reduction in eating disorder symptoms compared to those in in-person treatment.
"Those who struggle with the reality of an eating disorder are sometimes unable to find effective treatment because they live in places where care just isn't available or is too far away," said Jessica Harris, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with Alsana, an eating disorder treatment provider and recovery community. "These survey findings suggest that virtual options, especially in rural or remote areas, can help improve access to care for people struggling with eating disorders all over the country."
Additional key survey findings of the 2,000-person survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Alsana include:
- 38% of Americans would be more likely to seek out programs where other patients have seen positive results
- 49% of Americans would be more likely to seek virtual treatment because of its level of privacy; and
- 55% of Americans aged 35 ? 44 report ease of scheduling as a factor that would make them more likely to seek virtual treatment.
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week spotlights the gravity of eating disorders throughout the United States. During this week, organizations like Alsana are working to increase awareness about the importance of diagnosis, treatment and recovery, including virtual options. Knowing the signs of an eating disorder and getting treatment early leads to a long-lasting recovery.
About Alsana®
Alsana is an eating recovery community with virtual Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs across the United States, in addition to Residential, PHP/IOP programs in Alabama, California, and Missouri. Its eating disorder treatment program are compassion-focused, evidence-based, and designed in alignment with Alsana's Adaptive Care Model®. This whole-person approach addresses healing in all areas of clients' lives by integrating medical, nutritional, and therapeutic care with movement and relational therapies. Alsana serves adult clients of all genders and sexual identities struggling with a broad spectrum of eating, feeding, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Alsana's programs accommodate the unique needs of vegan clients and clients struggling with ED-DMT1, also known as "diabulimia." Learn more at www.alsana.com.
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