Research

Thesis

My thesis is available here:

Overview

From a clinical standpoint, there is a need for practical information on males with eating disorders to help guide diagnostic and treatment decisions. From a theoretical standpoint, the study of males with eating disorders contributes useful information to the question of eating disorder etiology. [1]

Reports of eating disorders have been increasing over the past few decades, affecting not only young women, but also prepubescent girls, and middle-aged women and men. Recent studies have indicated that up to 4% of adolescent and young adult students have received an eating disorder diagnosis [2].

The prevalence of eating disorders in males is only beginning to be well understood. According to recent studies [2][3], males account for approximately 5–10% of cases of anorexia and 10–15% of bulimia cases. The purpose of this case study is to gather additional information regarding the nature of eating disorders in men.

Despite a number of studies found throughout the psychological literature, four case studies have been published regarding an eating disordered male in the context of art therapy treatment [4]. Since there is little research on this topic, an additional purpose of this study is to record the nature of the art therapy process and artwork produced, including its symbolism and verbal processing. These findings will then be compared to the existing literature regarding females with eating disorders and art therapy.

Examining the art therapy process and the artwork of men with eating disorders will aid in the overall understanding of the nature of eating disorders, as well as contribute to the subject of treatment planning for this specific population.

The research questions for this case study are as follows:

  • What is the process of art therapy treatment with the eating disordered male, as seen through the subjects?
  • What is the nature of the artwork produced by the eating disordered males, as seen through the subjects?

The objective of this case study is to explore the nature of the art therapy process with a maximum of three male subjects diagnosed with an eating disorder and to describe the symbolism used within the artwork. A further objective is to compare the artwork of the subjects to females with eating disorders who have been previously discussed within art therapy literature.

References

[1] Carlat, D. J., Camargo, C. A., Herzog, D. B. (1997). Eating disorders in males: A report
on 135 patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 1127-1132.

[2] Sadock, J. S., Sadock, A. S. (2003). Synopsis of psychiatry: Behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry (9th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

[3] Braun, D. L., Sunday, S. R., Huang, A., Halmi, K. A. (1999). More males seek treatment
for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 25, 415-424.

[4] Naitove, C. E. (1986). “Life’s but a walking shadow”: Treating anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Arts in Psychotherapy, 13(2), 107-119.