Projects per year
Personal profile
Research interests
My research is directed at reducing the burden of eating disorders and associated body image problems within the population. I am leading two arms of research toward this endeavour. The first arm is the study of eating disorders epidemiology. The second arm involves the study of treatment-seeking for eating disorders. These two arms converge to allow me to understand the disconnect between the characteristics of people who experience eating disorders at a population level versus people who gain access to treatment for an eating disorder. Ultimately this will lead to applied research to improve treatment access and effectiveness.
Biography
I am a researcher and a clinical psychologist, specialising in eating and body image disorders. Currently I am completing a Macquarie University Research Fellowship, investigating eating disorders development, burden, and access to treatment in a longitudinal cohort of > 5000 adolescents.
Teaching
I provide guest lectures on topics such as eating disorders psychopathology, epidemiological research methods, and body dysmorphic disorder.
Research student supervision
Current Students
- PhD - Priyanka Thapliyal "Males experiences of treatment for an eating disorder"
- PhD/MClinPsych - Alexandra Lonergan "Look at your selfie: The role of self-objectification and social media photo editing on Australian adolescents’ eating and body image concerns"
- MClinPsych - Jennifer Gardner "The role of rejection sensitivity and bullying in the conferral of risk to the development of eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia"
- Honours - Xiaojing Lei "Elucidating the Roles of Sexual Harassmnent and Self Objectification in the Development of Body Image Distrubance in Adolescence"
- Honours - Natalie Li "A Comparison of the Characteristics and Burden of Objective and Subjective Binge Eating Using a General Population Sample"
Community engagement
I hold several professional memberships and roles, including membership on the current Executive Committee for the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders, and on the Scientific Committee for the 2020 International Conference for Eating Disorders. I also provide professional development to felllow clinicians and regularly consult with school wellbeing staff regarding the detection and management of eating disorders in the school context.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Prevalence of Eating and Body Image Disorders in Adolescent Australians: Toward Diagnostic Reform
1/05/17 → …
Project: Research
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Mobile Eyetracking Laboratory
Halbert, C., Kruger, J., Boisvert, I., Pachman, M., Kotze, H., Blythe, J., Benders, T., Fang, J., Badcock, N., Brooks, K., Caruana, N. & Mitchison, D.
1/01/17 → …
Project: Research
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Unveiling the 'Face' of Eating Disorders in Australia: A Symptom-Based Approach
Mitchison, D., Bussey, K. & Mond, J.
11/01/16 → …
Project: Research
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MQPCS: 18‐Year Time Trends in the Population Prevalence and Burden of Binge Eating
17/04/18 → 22/04/18
Project: Other
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Methods used to assess insight in individuals with eating disorders: a scoping review
Fatt, S. J., Mitchison, D., Bussey, K. & Mond, J., Apr 2025, In: Journal of Mental Health. 34, 2, p. 141-152 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
3 Citations (Scopus) -
Development and initial validation of the Multifaceted Instrument for Body Image Disturbance (MI-BoD)
Prnjak, K., Mitchison, D., Griffiths, S. & Hay, P., Apr 2024, In: Psychological Assessment. 36, 4, p. 275-290 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
3 Citations (Scopus) -
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD in eating disorder treatment-seekers: prevalence and associations with symptom severity
Day, S., Hay, P., Basten, C., Byrne, S., Dearden, A., Goldstein, M., Hannigan, A., Heruc, G., Houlihan, C., Roberts, M., Tannous, W. K., Thornton, C., Valentine, N. & Mitchison, D., Aug 2024, In: Journal of Traumatic Stress. 37, 4, p. 672-684 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile5 Citations (Scopus)16 Downloads (Pure) -
An exploration of how adolescents experience and reason their parents' comments on their weight, shape, and eating
Dahill, L. M., Morrison, N. M. V., Touyz, S., Mitchison, D., Bussey, K., Mannan, H. & Hay, P., Oct 2023, In: Journal of Adolescence. 95, 7, p. 1488-1504 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)85 Downloads (Pure) -
Associations among relationship status, gender, and sexual attraction in Australian adolescents' eating pathology
Roberts, S. R., Hay, P., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A. & Mitchison, D., Mar 2023, In: International Journal of Eating Disorders. 56, 3, p. 551-561 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access