Eating disorders in neurodivergent and gender diverse people V1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
NHS Wales staff perspectives on eating disorder care for neurodivergent and gender diverse individuals: a needs analysis
IRAS ID
346802
Contact name
Kai Thomas
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University, Cardiff Joint Research Office (JRO)
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental health conditions. People with EDs have around three times higher mortality rate than the general population (Krug et al., 2025). Worldwide, specialist ED referrals have increased progressively since 2000 (Demmler et al., 2019; Galmiche et al., 2019). Welsh ED clinicians also reported increased severity of presentations (Beat, 2022).
Research has suggested that neurodivergent (e.g., autistic people or individuals with ADHD) and trans and gender diverse people (TGD; e.g., transgender, non-binary, and gender questioning individuals) may be more likely to develop an eating disorder (ED) compared to cisgender and neurotypical peers (Diemer et al., 2018; Inoue et al., 2021; Makin et al., 2025; Nickel et al., 2019; Villa et al., 2023; Nagata et al., 2020; Nagata et al., 2024; Rasmussen et al., 2025). They also have poorer treatment outcomes (Babb et al., 2022; Mensinger et al., 2020; Riddle et al., 2024).
Despite the frequent co-occurrence of these experiences, little is known about how staff working with EDs perceive their confidence and training needs in relation to working with TGD and neurodivergent individuals.This project aims to explore the needs of staff working with these groups to ensure they are equipped to provide effective, inclusive care. Staff invited to take part will be all staff providing clinical input to individuals with eating disorders in Wales.
The study will examine how confident ED staff in Wales feel in their work with neurodivergent and TGD individuals, what might predict confidence (e.g., years of experience; age; personal experience of an ED/neurodivergence/gender diversity; institutional experiences of staff burnout). It will also explore staff perspectives on the co-occurrence of EDs with neurodivergence and gender diversity, as well as any adaptations made to treatment to meet these needs.Finally, the project will seek to identify perceived barriers, service gaps, and unmet needs that may affect access to or engagement with eating disorder services. The findings will inform future guidance and recommendations to support the development of services that are more inclusive, accessible, and responsive to neurodivergent and TGD individuals across Wales.
REC name
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REC reference
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