DE in athletes can occur at any time; both precipitating, or being precipitated by, challenges in the athlete’s life as well as occurring during a time of successful performance. While there is a growing openness and support for mental health concerns in elite sport,16 barriers to early identification and treatment of DE and EDs still exist.
Athletes’ shame, stigma and fear of discrimination prevent them from disclosing problematic behaviour and seeking help, whereas limited knowledge about ED symptoms and reluctance to ask specifically about eating problems inhibit providers’ detection of DE and EDs.20 It is widely accepted that the early identification and appropriate management of DE leads to better outcomes. EDs have one of the highest mortality rates among all mental illnesses, which underscores the importance of prevention efforts, timely detection and specialised treatment.
Everyone in the sport system has a role to play in recognition and early intervention, and anyone can refer athletes to, and/ or consult with, any member of the CMT (doctor, sports dieti- tian and psychologist) for further assessment and support.11 It is important for all personnel involved in the sport to be aware of the risk factors and warning signs or red flags of DE and EDs (tables 2 and 3). Personnel should also be informed of effective communication channels for concerns. Some warning signs (table 3) can occur early (behavioural changes) whereas others such as weight changes may occur later in the person’s trajectory of DE.
