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The middle school years are often a tumultuous time with children experiencing a variety of stressors in the areas of social competence, academic achievement, and developmental mastery. The struggle to maintain ‘control’ of one’s anxiety and to develop effective coping strategies in the face of numerous demands, both externally produced and internally inflicted, becomes, for some, overwhelming and unmanageable. We as clinicians have known for years that these are some of the catalysts that contribute to children and adults using food as the way of regulating affect and managing stress.
The incidence of eating disorders, on a continuum from budding to acute has risen in our district over the past five years. Eating disorders can be life-threatening illnesses, and of the mental health issues, have a particularly high rate of mortality. We, as clinical social workers, are actively dealing with this issue as the age of onset becomes earlier (in middle school) and the duration of the illness continues through high school and beyond.
We are applying for a WFEE grant in order for both of us to attend a two-day training offered through Harvard Medical School’s Department of Continuing Education entitled, "Eating Disroders". This course is designed to offer an update on the latest research findings and clinical application in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. It will include such topics as the neurobiology of eating disorders, various treatment modalities, body image issues for eating disordered individuals, as well as issues that prevent a successful recovery. Because eating disorders are serious issues of growing importance both at the middle and high school level, it requires a collaborative approach with the immediate school team, as well as with out-of-school professionals. It is important for the District Clinical Counselors, working with this at-risk population of adolescents, to have consistent and up-to-date information on this topic. We hope to have the opportunity to attend this conference together in order to not only enrich our understanding of these disorders, but to contribute toward increased coordination of services across the grades.
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