What are the Barriers Men Experience when Seeking Support for an Eating Disorder? A Narrative Analysis

Kirkham, Sophie and Staniford, Leanne and Wilson, Hannah (2025) What are the Barriers Men Experience when Seeking Support for an Eating Disorder? A Narrative Analysis. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

This thesis comprises of three sections: A systematic literature review exploring healthcare professionals’ views on the barriers for men when accessing healthcare; an empirical research paper exploring the barriers men experience when seeking support for an eating disorder; and a critical appraisal which includes reflections of the research process. For the systematic literature review databases were searched resulting in eighteen qualitative studies being eligible for inclusion. A six step meta-synthesis was carried out with the included studies. The findings suggest that a multitude of barriers prevent men from accessing healthcare, including personal and systemic-level challenges. Masculinity and gender stereotypes were a significant barrier, with many professionals suggesting that men’s desire to be viewed as a strong male prevented them from accessing support. However, the influence of others, specifically female partners was suggested to have a positive impact on accessing support, particularly during times when the presenting difficulty was emotive. Implications for clinical practice are discussed, including recommendations for engaging men in healthcare services. The empirical paper explores the barriers men experience when seeking support for an eating disorder. Six men who had attempted to seek support for an eating disorder in the past five years were recruited and interviewed. The interviews were analysed using narrative analysis. The findings suggest that attempting to seek support for an eating disorder as a male includes various barriers that participants were not expecting to encounter. Participants described how their experiences included being dismissed, ignored and rejected by services due to a significant lack of awareness around eating disorders generally, but also more specifically the impacts of eating disorders on men. Clinical implications and suggestions for reducing these barriers are discussed. The critical appraisal addresses specific elements of the research process, including decisions made and challenges encountered.