A systems thinking perspective on the barriers to treatment access for people with eating disorders

Ben R Lane; Gemma J M Read; Lesley Cook; Paul M Salmon

doi:10.1002/eat.23214

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A systems thinking perspective on the barriers to treatment access for people with eating disorders

Journal article

Peer reviewed

A systems thinking perspective on the barriers to treatment access for people with eating disorders

Ben R Lane, Gemma J M Read, Lesley Cook and Paul M Salmon

International Journal of Eating Disorders, Vol.53(2), pp.174-179

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23214

Appears in UniSC Diversity and Inclusion Research Collection

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Abstract

AcciMap

barriers

eating disorders

sociotechnical systems

systems thinking

treatment access

UniSC Diversity Area - Disability and Inclusion

Treatment access remains low for people with eating disorders. In addressing the complexity inherent in this challenge, this article introduces systems thinking and argues that it could provide new insights. Systems thinking views behavior as an emergent property of a system and considers the relationships between technical, organizational, and social components. Several methods used in safety science incorporate this thinking. For example, AcciMap draws focus to the influence of decisions and actions made across hierarchical levels of a system, including those by government, regulatory bodies, management, services, and individuals. By examining the findings of the existing literature on barriers to eating disorder treatment access according to these levels, it is evident that most identified barriers relate to individuals and that further research is needed to consider the influence of high-level stakeholders. Research using systems thinking should consider the causal networks of influence from government, regulatory, and organizational decisions and actions through to outcomes for clinicians and individuals. The understanding of how barriers operate within specific healthcare systems also warrants investigation. Systems thinking is yet to be formally applied in the area of eating disorders and thus represents an opportunity to inform the development and implementation of more effective, system wide interventions.

Details

Title: A systems thinking perspective on the barriers to treatment access for people with eating disorders
Authors: Ben R Lane (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Gemma J M Read (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Lesley Cook (Author)
Paul M Salmon (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: International Journal of Eating Disorders, Vol.53(2), pp.174-179
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Date published: 2020
DOI: 10.1002/eat.23214
ISSN: 0276-3478; 1098-108X
Grants: A new complex systems approach to road trauma: Applying systems thinking to the fatal five, FT140100681, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
A modelling approach to support the safe introduction of automated vehicles into the road transport system, DE180101449, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Organisation Unit: Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science; School of Health - Psychology; School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450945802621
Output Type: Journal article

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Web Of Science research areas: Nutrition & Dietetics; Psychiatry; Psychology; Psychology, Clinical

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