Disordered eating symptoms (DES), including subjective binge eating and body dissatisfaction, are common among women Veterans (Buchholz et al., 2018). Despite recent research (Slane et al., 2016) and clinical care initiatives for DES within the Veterans Health Administration (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2016), a known gap exists in terms of the best approach to treat Veterans with eating disorders and related symptoms. The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model offers several potential advantages for treatment: enhanced accessibility, interdisciplinary collaboration, and embedded behavioral health professionals who are positioned to address emotional and behavioral symptom management (Buchholz et al., 2017). However, little is known with regard to Veterans’ perceptions of DES, their preferences to address these symptoms, or factors that may affect their engagement in care within PCBH. The present study used qualitative methods to gather patient feedback in these areas. We purposefully-sampled (Palinkas, 2015) and interviewed twelve women veterans (92% non-Hispanic, 83% Caucasian, Mage = 54 years) who reported multiple DES on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q; Fairburn & Beglin, 2008). All respondents reported dissatisfaction with body shape and 83% described themselves as somewhat to very overweight. Results of a directed content analysis revealed three noteworthy themes. First, respondents identified consistent long-term struggles with subjective binge eating, body dissatisfaction, and stigma related to weight. Second, participants’ past treatment experiences were largely limited to commercial programs and peer support-based weight management groups as opposed to clinical care for DES. Third, participants relayed a desire for DES to be addressed through a personalized, goal-based, and skills-focused approach in the context of an overall healthy lifestyle. Potential implications for future PCBH research and practice will be discussed.
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