Eating Disorders in Rural Practice: Recognition, Assessment, and Pathways to Care
Tracks
Karrie Webb
| Wednesday, November 4, 2026 |
| 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM |
Overview
Leah Brennan, La Trobe University
Three Key Learnings
1. Eating disorders are common and often missed
Participants will recognise that eating disorders occur across diverse populations and are likely to present in their own practice.
2. Early identification is achievable
Participants will learn practical strategies to identify symptoms, recognise risk, and initiate basic assessment.
3. Pathways to care and ongoing learning matter
Participants will understand referral pathways, evidence-based treatments, and the role of generalist clinicians, and will be guided to resources and further training to support ongoing skill development.
Presenter
Professor Leah Brennan
Professor of Clinical Psychology
La Trobe University
Eating Disorders in Rural Practice: Recognition, Assessment, and Pathways to Care
Presentation Overview
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions associated with significant psychological and medical risk, yet they are frequently under-recognised and undertreated, particularly in rural and regional settings. Misconceptions about who develops eating disorders, combined with limited services and workforce constraints, contribute to delays in identification and access to care resulting in poorer outcomes. Many clinicians working in rural mental health encounter eating disorders in their practice without always recognising or feeling confident to respond to them.
This 90-minute workshop will provide an accessible introduction to eating disorders, designed to increase awareness, relevance, and confidence among rural health professionals. The session will cover key diagnostic features across common eating disorders, prevalence data, and the diverse ways eating disorders present across populations and settings. Practical guidance will be provided on identification and assessment, including how to ask about eating disorder symptoms and recognise risk indicators.
The workshop will also outline referral pathways and evidence-based treatment options, with a focus on what can be managed in general health./mental health settings and when specialist care is required. Emphasis will be placed on the role of non-specialist clinicians in early identification and intervention, particularly in resource-constrained settings.
By the end of the session, participants will have increased confidence in recognising eating disorders, understanding their relevance to routine clinical practice, and taking initial steps to support individuals and connect them with appropriate care. Participants will also be provided with links to high-quality evidence-based resources and guidance on accessing further training to support ongoing skill development in eating disorder care.
This 90-minute workshop will provide an accessible introduction to eating disorders, designed to increase awareness, relevance, and confidence among rural health professionals. The session will cover key diagnostic features across common eating disorders, prevalence data, and the diverse ways eating disorders present across populations and settings. Practical guidance will be provided on identification and assessment, including how to ask about eating disorder symptoms and recognise risk indicators.
The workshop will also outline referral pathways and evidence-based treatment options, with a focus on what can be managed in general health./mental health settings and when specialist care is required. Emphasis will be placed on the role of non-specialist clinicians in early identification and intervention, particularly in resource-constrained settings.
By the end of the session, participants will have increased confidence in recognising eating disorders, understanding their relevance to routine clinical practice, and taking initial steps to support individuals and connect them with appropriate care. Participants will also be provided with links to high-quality evidence-based resources and guidance on accessing further training to support ongoing skill development in eating disorder care.
Biography
Leah Brennan is a Professor of Psychology at La Trobe University and a clinical and health psychologist with a focus on the assessment and treatment of eating, weight and body image. She leads a research and clinical program focused on improving access to evidence-based care, particularly in rural and regional communities. Leah works closely with health services and clinicians to support early identification and intervention, and to build workforce capability in eating disorder care. She leads the Body Image Eating and Weight Clinical Research Team (BEWT) and directs the Centre for Eating, Weight and Body Image (CEWBI).
