Stigmatization of Anorexia Nervosa: Characteristics and Response to Intervention

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different etiological explanations of anorexia nervosa (AN) on stigmatization of those with the disorder. College students (N = 173) were randomly assigned to view one of three videos describing AN as the product of either biology, culture, or an interaction of the two. In general, those who viewed the interaction video exhibited less stigma than those who viewed the sociocultural video, though more than those who viewed the biological video. These findings are consistent with attribution theory, as well as previous empirical findings, and may represent a preliminary step towards guiding those conducting campaigns to destigmatize eating disorders.

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