Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39861476›Full record

ArticleNutrients2025

The Treatment Experiences of Vegetarians and Vegans with an Eating Disorder: A Qualitative Study.

Courtney P McLean, Kathleen de Boer, Megan F Lee, Siân A McLean

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nutrients, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Courtney P McLeanDepartment of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-3896-2419
Kathleen de BoerDepartment of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia.
Megan F LeeFaculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD 4229, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7531-5312
Siân A McLeanDepartment of Psychology, Counselling, and Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3083, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4273-2037

Funding

La Trobe University School of Psychology and Public Health Resuscitation Grant N/A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVegetarianism and veganism have long been tied to disordered eating and are frequently considered to be methods of limiting available food choices. Health professionals specializing in eating disorder treatment may modify their treatment practices to support their vegetarian or vegan clients. However, there are no formally recognized clinical guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders in these groups. Moreover, no studies have yet explored the experiences of seeking and receiving eating disorder treatment while adhering to vegetarianism or veganism, which are needed to inform the development of guidelines. The present study aims to explore the lived experiences of vegetarians and vegans on eating disorder treatment through semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis.

methodsSeventeen participants (aged 19-48, 76% female, 41% vegan) with a history of receiving eating disorder treatment were recruited.

resultsWe identified five themes that participants described as important experiences for the treatment of their eating disorder when sought as a vegetarian or vegan: (1) Health professional perspectives, (2) The interaction of dietary status with treatment quality, (3) The give and take of treatment, (4) Lack of flexibility in treatment services, and (5) Current treatment approaches not well equipped to support dietary variations.

conclusionsThis paper identifies the complex relationship between eating disorders, veganism, and vegetarianism and the perceptions of treatment from the perspectives of those who have received treatment. Our findings suggest that acknowledgement and the flexibility to work with an individual's vegan and vegetarian values within treatment may contribute to enhanced outcomes and treatment experiences. Limitations include potential participation and response biases and a predominantly female-identifying sample. This study will contribute to the development of clinical guidelines when working with vegan and vegetarian clients.

Indexed as

Diet, VeganDiet, VegetarianFeeding and Eating DisordersVegansVegetariansAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchYoung Adulteating disordersexperiencesqualitativetreatmentveganismvegetarianism

Identifiers

PMID39861476
PMCPMC11768365

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.