Eating disorders are the leading cause of death among psychiatric disorders, highlighting the need for high treatment accessibility. Unfortunately, there are large gaps in the research on treating this group of lethal disorders, particularly concerning diversity in treatment.

Treatment for eating disorders is often limited for individuals from minority groups such as the global majority population, LGBTQ+ community and lower  socioeconomic backgrounds. Mistreatment of eating disorders are often present through misdiagnosis, delayed treatment and lower recovery rates amongst minority groups patients, due to systematic barriers and culturally uninformed resources. It is essential for these gaps to be addressed to ensure underserved communities feel able to access the care that they need to, in some cases, survive.

As a step towards addressing this disparity, Club Majority has produced the culturally-informed Checklist for the Underrepresented in Eating Disorders™ (CUED™). CUED™ is a checklist that seeks to uncover patients’ culturally diverse needs, in a timely manner, to ensure patient-perceived inclusivity and satisfaction. By taking these steps, Club Majority hopes to increase awareness of intersectionality in the care of eating disorder patients from underrepresented groups, and as such, improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction in these populations.

For the evaluation of the CUED™ tool, the team at Club Majority is currently working with the research team at The Renfrew Center in a pilot project. The ultimate aim is to enhance patient comfort, and avoid any misdiagnoses or delay in treatment, leading to improved and suitable care for all eating disorders patients. 

Note: The CUED™ is still undergoing extensive modification and optimisation and so will be available to download soon.