Body Image Assessment Among Community Mental Health Providers

Although research suggests an association between body image and mental health, with poor body image related to several mental illnesses, there is no research exploring mental health clinicians’ body image screening practices. This study aims to fill this gap among a sample of community mental healt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Community mental health journal 2018-07, Vol.54 (5), p.600-606
Main Authors: Ramseyer Winter, Virginia, Brett, Anna, Pevehouse-Pfeiffer, Danielle, O’Neill, Elizabeth A., Ellis-Ordway, Nancy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Body image
Chi-square test
Clinical assessment
Clinical decision making
Community and Environmental Psychology
Community health services
Community mental health services
Email
Females
Health research
Human body
Illnesses
Medical screening
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental disorders
Mental health
Mental health care
Mental health professionals
Original Paper
Preparedness
Psychiatry
Psychological assessment
Sampling
Self image
Snowball sampling
Tests
Training
Women
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Summary:Although research suggests an association between body image and mental health, with poor body image related to several mental illnesses, there is no research exploring mental health clinicians’ body image screening practices. This study aims to fill this gap among a sample of community mental health providers ( N  = 216). Using a cross-sectional design, clinicians in Community Health Centers were recruited through email using purposeful and snowball sampling in a Midwest state. The majority of participants identified as women (88.4%) and White (88.4%). Additionally, the mean age of the sample was 36.66 years and participants reported working an average of 8.44 years as a mental health provider. We ran descriptive and Chi square analyses. Results suggest a relationship between viewing body image screening as important and level of preparedness as well as level of preparedness and actual assessment. Training and assessment tools may be warranted to increase clinician’s preparedness. Additional clinical and policy recommendations are discussed.
ISSN:0010-3853
1573-2789
DOI:10.1007/s10597-017-0194-8