Investigating the Biopsychosocial Factors Impacting Eating Disorder/Disordered Eating Etiology, Treatment, and Advocacy Within the LGBTQIA+ Community
Category: Community Engagement Poster
Author(s): Audra Richister
Presenter(s): Audra Richister
Mentors(s): Brittney Sly
Eating disorders are increasingly prevalent illnesses, discriminating against no one. A demographic affected by them in particular is the LGBTQIA+ community. There are a variety of factors impacting these disproportionate occurrences, as demonstrated by the biopsychosocial model of eating disorder etiology. This model may also translate to eating disorder advocacy and care, which is especially pertinent given not only the current oppressions faced by the LGBTQIA+ community in healthcare and modern society, but also given the severity and prevalence of eating disorder patienthood in relation to such. The aim of this thesis is to investigate different factors (biological, social, psychological, and cultural) as they relate to eating disorder development, care systems, and advocacy for either through a queer perspective, as well as to discuss future directions of healthcare and research and construct a basis for more holistic, inclusive, and just systems.