Eating Disorders on College Campuses in the United States: Current Insight on Screening, Prevention, and Treatment

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders are prevalent on college campuses and pose significant risks to student health, well-being, and academic performance. However, few students receive access to evidence-based prevention and treatment. OBJECTIVE: The present review synthesizes the recent literature on ED screening, prevention, and treatment approaches on college campuses in the United States. We provide an overview of ED screening efforts on college campuses, including relevant screening tools, summarize the extant literature on prevention programming, as well psychological and pharmacological treatment approaches, and outline limitations of current programming and provide future directions for research. CONCLUSION: Recent advances in ED screening, prevention, and treatment efforts highlight the importance of early detection and intervention. Innovative approaches to screening and dissemination of evidence-based prevention and treatment programs on college campuses are warranted. Implications for future research are discussed.