Doctor Deborah Mitchison

Doctor Deborah Mitchison

Adjunct Appointment - Translational Health Research Institute,
Translational Health Research Institute

Biography

Deb Mitchison is an NHMRC Research Fellow and a clinical psychologist, specialising in eating and body image disorders. She employs epidemiological and clinical research methods to improve understanding on the phenomenology, burden, distribution and health service use of eating and body image disorders. Deb completed her training as a clinical psychologist in 2012, and received her PhD in Medicine in 2015. Following her PhD she commenced a Macquarie University Research Fellowship, investigating the prevalence and burden of eating disorders Australian adolescents by establishing a large school-based cohort of >5000 youth. At this time she also established with a partnership of leading Australian eating disorder clinics Australia's first eating disorder registry. In 2019 Deb moved back to WSU to commence an NHMRC (Health Professional) Early Career Fellowship (ECF), expanding on this research to examine risk factors and illness trajectories for eating and body image disorders longitudinally. Deb has enjoyed a productive early career in research, receiving over > $1mn ($750K as CIA) in research funding and has published over 115 peer-reviewed scientific articles. She enjoys collaborating with many academics across Australia and the globe, supervising HDR students, and contributing to professional development and advocacy efforts.

Qualifications

  • PhD, MClinPsych, MSc, BPsych(Hons)

Awards/Recognition

  • 2024 Co-chair of the International Conference on Eating Disorders (New York)
  • 2022 Co-chair of the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders Annual Conference (Sydney) 
  • 2021 Association for Psychological Sciences "Rising Star Award"
  • 2020 Western Sydney University Research Excellence Award Winner (Early Career Researcher)
  • 2020 Society for Mental Health Research Early Career Researcher Award Winner 
  • 2019 election to the Executive Committee of the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (term 2019-2021)
  • 2017 Australian Psychological Society Early Career Researcher Award Winner
  • 2017 election to the Executive Committee of the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (term 2017-2019)
  • 2017 nomination into the international Eating Disorder Research Society

This information has been contributed by Doctor Mitchison.

Qualifications

  • PHD Western Sydney University

Professional Memberships

  • Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (2009 - 2024)
  • Academy for Eating Disorders (2011)
  • Eating Disorder Research Society (2017)
  • Association for Psychological Sciences (2020)
  • Society for Mental Health Research (2020)

Interests

  • Eating Disorders
  • Body Image
  • Psychiatric Epidemiology

Organisational Unit (School / Division)

  • Translational Health Research Institute

Contact

Email: Deborah.Mitchison@westernsydney.edu.au
Phone: n/a
Mobile:
Location: OFF
Off Campus

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Publications

Chapters in Books

  • Mond, J., Mitchison, D. and Hay, P. (2014), 'Eating disordered behavior in men : prevalence, impairment in quality of life, and implications for prevention and health promotion', Current Findings on Males with Eating Disorders, Routledge 9780415835909.

Journal Articles

  • Dahill, L., Hay, P., Morrison, N., Touyz, S., Mitchison, D., Bussey, K. and Mannan, H. (2023), 'Associations between parents' body weight/shape comments and disordered eating amongst adolescents over time : a longitudinal study', Nutrients, vol 15, no 6 .
  • Koreshe, E., Paxton, S., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Bryant, E., Le, A., Maloney, D., National Eating Disorder Research Consortium, .., Conti, J., Foroughi, N., Hay, P., Mitchison, D., Smith, E., Touyz, S. and Maguire, S. (2023), 'Prevention and early intervention in eating disorders : findings from a rapid review', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 11 .
  • Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Bryant, E., Ong, S., Vatter, S., Le, A., National Eating Disorder Research Consortium, .., Conti, J., Foroughi, N., Hay, P., Mitchison, D., Smith, E., Touyz, S. and Maguire, S. (2023), 'Eating disorder outcomes : findings from a rapid review of over a decade of research', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 11 .
  • Dahill, L., Morrison, N., Touyz, S., Mitchison, D., Bussey, K., Mannan, H. and Hay, P. (2023), 'An exploration of how adolescents experience and reason their parents' comments on their weight, shape, and eating', Journal of Adolescence, vol 95, no 7 , pp 1488 - 1504.
  • Day, S., Hay, P., Tannous, K., Fatt, S. and Mitchison, D. (2023), '[In Press] A systematic review of the effect of PTSD and trauma on treatment outcomes for eating disorders', Trauma, Violence and Abuse, .
  • Mitchison, D., Wang, S., Wade, T., Haynos, A., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A., Tame, J. and Hay, P. (2023), 'Development of transdiagnostic clinical risk prediction models for 12-month onset and course of eating disorders among adolescents in the community', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 56, no 7 , pp 1406 - 1416.
  • Jarman, H., Prichard, I., Yager, Z., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., McLean, S., Damiano, S., Krug, I., Mitchison, D., Fardouly, J., Giles, S. and Hart, L. (2023), 'Zooming in : the relationship between appearance concerns and perceived performance whilst videoconferencing among Australian adults', Body Image, vol 44 , pp 170 - 177.
  • Trompeter, N., Austen, E., Bussey, K., Reilly, E., Cunningham, M., Mond, J., Lonergan, A., Tame, J. and Mitchison, D. (2023), 'Examination of bidirectional relationships between fear of negative evaluation and weight/shape concerns over 3 years : a longitudinal cohort study of Australian adolescents', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 56, no 3 , pp 646 - 653.
  • Barakat, S., McLean, S., Bryant, E., Le, A., Marks, P., National Eating Disorder Research Consortium, .., Aouad, P., Barakat, S., Boakes, R., Brennan, L., Bryant, E., Byrne, S., Caldwell, B., Calvert, S., Carroll, B., Castle, D., Caterson, I., Chelius, B., Chiem, L., Clarke, S., Conti, J., Crouch, L., Dammery, G., Dzajkovski, N., Fardouly, J., Felicia, C., Feneley, J., Firriolo, A., Foroughi, N., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Fursland, A., Gonzalez-Arce, V., Gouldthorp, B., Griffin, K., Griffiths, S., Hambleton, A., Hannigan, A., Hart, M., Hart, S., Hay, P., Hickie, I., Kay-Lambkin, F., King, R., Kohn, M., Koreshe, E., Krug, I., Le, A., Linardon, J., Mitchison, D., Smith, E., Touyz, S., Maguire, S. and et al, .. (2023), 'Risk factors for eating disorders : findings from a rapid review', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 11, no 1 .
  • Clague, C., Prnjak, K., Prnjak, K. and Mitchison, D. (2023), '"I don't want them to judge me" : separating out the role of fear of negative evaluation, neuroticism, and low self-esteem in eating disorders', Eating Behaviors, vol 49 .
  • Sharp, G., Girolamo, T., Hay, P., Mitchison, D., Cooper, K., Sumithran, P. and Jebeile, H. (2023), 'New anti-obesity medications : considerations and future directions in people with concurrent eating disorders', Australian Journal of General Practice, vol 52, no 9 , pp 651 - 653.
  • Roberts, S., Hay, P., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A. and Mitchison, D. (2023), 'Associations among relationship status, gender, and sexual attraction in Australian adolescents' eating pathology', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 56, no 3 , pp 551 - 561.
  • Hart, L., Mitchison, D., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Giles, S., Fardouly, J., Jarman, H., Damiano, S., McLean, S., Prichard, I., Yager, Z. and Krug, I. (2023), '"Can you see me?" : videoconferencing and eating disorder risk during COVID-19 : anxiety, impairment, and mediators', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 56, no 1 , pp 235 - 246.
  • Van Buuren, L., Fleming, C., Hay, P., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A. and Mitchison, D. (2023), 'The prevalence and burden of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in a general adolescent population', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 11, no 1 .
  • Russell, H., Aouad, P., Le, A., Marks, P., Maloney, D., Aouad, P., Barakat, S., Boakes, R., Brennan, L., Bryant, E., Byrne, S., Caldwell, B., Calvert, S., Carroll, B., Castle, D., Caterson, I., Chelius, B., Chiem, L., Clarke, S., Conti, J., Crouch, L., Dammery, G., Dzajkovski, N., Fardouly, J., Feneley, J., Foroughi, N., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Fursland, A., Gonzalez-Arce, V., Gouldthorp, B., Griffin, K., Griffiths, S., Hambleton, A., Hannigan, A., Hart, M., Hart, S., Hay, P., Hickie, I., Kay-Lambkin, F., King, R., Kohn, M., Koreshe, E., Krug, I., Linardon, J., Long, R., Long, A., Madden, S., Maguire, S., Maloney, D., Marks, P., McLean, S., Meddick, T., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Mitchison, D., O?Kearney, R., Ong, S., Paterson, R., Paxton, S., Pehlivan, M., Pepin, G., Phillipou, A., Piccone, J., Pinkus, R., Raykos, B., Rhodes, P., Rieger, E., Rockett, K., Rodan, S., Russell, J., Russell, H., Salter, F., Sawyer, S., Shelton, B., Singh, U., Smith, S., Smith, E., Spielman, K., Squire, S., Thomson, J., Tiggemann, M., Touyz, S., Utpala, R., Vartanian, L., Vatter, S., Wallis, A., Ward, W., Wells, S., Wertheim, E., Wilksch, S., Williams, M., Touyz, S. and Maguire, S. (2023), 'Psychotherapies for eating disorders : findings from a rapid review', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 11, no 1 .
  • Nagata, J., Ganson, K., Griffiths, S., Mitchison, D., Garber, A., Vittinghoff, E., Bibbins-Domingo, K. and Murray, S. (2022), 'Prevalence and correlates of muscle-enhancing behaviors among adolescents and young adults in the United States', International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, vol 34, no 2 , pp 119 - 129.
  • Ganson, K., Mitchison, D., Rodgers, R., Cunningham, M., Murray, S. and Nagata, J. (2022), 'Compulsive exercise among college students : 5-year time trends in prevalence and demographic, substance use, and mental health correlates', Eating and Weight Disorders, vol 27, no 2 , pp 717 - 728.
  • Hamilton, A., Mitchison, D., Basten, C., Byrne, S., Goldstein, M., Hay, P., Heruc, G., Thornton, C. and Touyz, S. (2022), 'Understanding treatment delay : perceived barriers preventing treatment-seeking for eating disorders', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, vol 56, no 3 , pp 248 - 259.
  • Day, S., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N. and Mitchison, D. (2022), 'The impact of teasing and bullying victimization on disordered eating and body image disturbance among adolescents : a systematic review', Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, vol 23, no 3 , pp 985 - 1006.
  • Mitchison, D., Mond, J., Griffiths, S., Hay, P., Nagata, J., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A. and Murray, S. (2022), 'Prevalence of muscle dysmorphia in adolescents : findings from the EveryBODY study', Psychological Medicine, vol 52, no 14 , pp 3142 - 3149.
  • Babbott, K., Mitchison, D., Basten, C., Thornton, C., Hay, P., Byrne, S., Goldstein, M., Heruc, G., Werf, B., Consedine, N. and Roberts, M. (2022), 'Intuitive Eating Scale-2 : psychometric properties and clinical norms among individuals seeking treatment for an eating disorder in private practice', Eating and Weight Disorders, vol 27, no 5 , pp 1821 - 1833.
  • Prnjak, K., Fried, E., Mond, J., Hay, P., Bussey, K., Griffiths, S., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A. and Mitchison, D. (2022), 'Identifying components of drive for muscularity and leanness associated with core body image disturbance : a network analysis', Psychological Assessment, vol 34, no 4 , pp 353 - 366.
  • Dahill, L., Morrison, N., Mannan, H., Mitchison, D., Touyz, S., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N. and Hay, P. (2022), 'Exploring associations between positive and negative valanced parental comments about adolescents' bodies and eating and eating problems : a community study', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 10 .
  • Aouad, P., Bryant, E., Maloney, D., Marks, P., Le, A., Russell, H., National Eating Disorder Research Consortium Membe, .., Hay, P., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Touyz, S., Maguire, S., Barakat, S., Boakes, R., Brennan, L., Byrne, S., Caldwell, B., Calvert, S., Carroll, B., Castle, D., Caterson, I., Chelius, B., Chiem, L., Clarke, S., Conti, J., Crouch, L., Dammery, G., Dzajkovski, N., Fardouly, J., Feneley, J., Foroughi, N., Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, M., Gonzalez-Arce, V., Gouldthorp, B., Griffin, K., Hambleton, A., Hannigan, A., Hart, M., Hart, S., Hickie, I., Kay-Lambkin, F., King, R., Kohn, M., Koreshe, E., Krug, I., Linardon, J., Long, R., Long, A., Madde, S., McLean, S., Meddick, T., Mitchison, D., O?Kearney, R., Paterson, R., Paxton, S., Pehlivan, M., Pepin, G., Phillipou, A., Piccone, J., Pinkus, R., Raykos, B., Rhodes, P., Rieger, E., Rockett, K., Rodan, S., Russell, J., Salter, F., Sawyer, S., Shelton, B., Singh, U., Smith, S., Smith, E. and et al, .. (2022), 'Informing the development of Australia's national eating disorders research and translation strategy : a rapid review methodology', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 10, no 1 .
  • Trompeter, N., Bussey, K., Forbes, M., Hay, P., Goldstein, M., Thornton, C., Basten, C., Heruc, G., Roberts, M., Byrne, S., Griffiths, S., Lonergan, A. and Mitchison, D. (2022), 'Emotion dysregulation and eating disorder symptoms : examining distinct associations and interactions in adolescents', Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology, vol 50, no 5 , pp 683 - 694.
  • Bryant, E., Spielman, K., Le, A., National Eating Disorder Research Consortium, .., Conti, J., Foroughi, N., Hay, P., Mitchison, D., Smith, E., Touyz, S. and Maguire, S. (2022), 'Screening, assessment and diagnosis in the eating disorders : findings from a rapid review', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 10, no 1 .
  • Trompeter, N., Bussey, K., Forbes, M., Griffiths, S., Mond, J., Lonergan, A. and Mitchison, D. (2022), 'Peer victimization and weight/shape concerns in adolescents : examining the moderating role of appearance-based rejection sensitivity', Body Image, vol 40 , pp 207 - 212.
  • Pehlivan, M., Miskovic-Wheatley, J., Le, A., Maloney, D., National Eating Disorders Research Consortium, .., Conti, J., Foroughi, N., Hay, P., Mitchison, D., Smith, E., Touyz, S. and Maguire, S. (2022), 'Models of care for eating disorders : findings from a rapid review', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 10, no 1 .
  • Cunningham, M., Pinkus, R., Lavender, J., Rodgers, R., Mitchison, D., Trompeter, N., Ganson, K., Nagata, J., Szabo, M., Murray, S. and Griffiths, S. (2022), 'The 'not-so-healthy' appearance pursuit? : disentangling unique associations of female drive for toned muscularity with disordered eating and compulsive exercise', Body Image, vol 42 , pp 276 - 286.
  • Hayes, S., Lonergan, A., Trompeter, N., Bussey, K., Hay, P. and Mitchison, D. (2022), 'Longitudinal relationship between experience of sexual harassment and 2-year body image and weight outcomes in adolescence : mediation through self-objectification and psychological distress', Eating and Weight Disorders, vol 27, no 8 , pp 3095 - 3108.
  • Fatt, S., Mitchison, D., Bussey, K. and Mond, J. (2022), '[In Press] Methods used to assess insight in individuals with eating disorders : a scoping review', Journal of Mental Health, .
  • Hart, L., Mitchison, D., Fardouly, J. and Krug, I. (2022), 'Zoomers : videoconferencing, appearance concerns, and potential effects on adolescents', Current Opinion in Pediatrics, vol 34, no 4 , pp 320 - 325.
  • Aouad, P., Hay, P., Soh, N., Touyz, S., Mannan, H. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'Chew and spit (CHSP) in a large adolescent sample : prevalence, impact on health-related quality of life, and relation to other disordered eating features', Eating Disorders, vol 29, no 5 , pp 509 - 522.
  • Fatt, S., Mond, J., Bussey, K., Griffiths, S., Murray, S., Lonergan, A., Hay, P., Pike, K., Trompeter, N. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'Seeing yourself clearly : self-identification of a body image problem in adolescents with an eating disorder', Early Intervention in Psychiatry, vol 15, no 3 , pp 577 - 584.
  • Wade, T., Hart, L., Mitchison, D. and Hay, P. (2021), 'Driving better intervention outcomes in eating disorders : a systematic synthesis of research priority setting and the involvement of consumer input', European Eating Disorders Review, vol 29, no 3 , pp 346 - 354.
  • Dias Santana, D., Mitchison, D., Griffiths, S., Appolinario, J., Da Veiga, G., Touyz, S. and Hay, P. (2021), 'Associations between weight/shape overvaluation, sociodemographic features and BMI : 10-year time trends', Eating and Weight Disorders, vol 26, no 6 , pp 2001 - 2009.
  • Dahill, L., Mitchison, D., Morrison, N., Touyz, S., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A. and Hay, P. (2021), 'Prevalence of parental comments on weight/shape/eating amongst sons and daughters in an adolescent sample', Nutrients, vol 13, no 1 .
  • Hayes, S., Linardon, J., Kim, C. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'Understanding the relationship between sexual harassment and eating disorder psychopathology : a systematic review and meta-analysis', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 54, no 5 , pp 673 - 689.
  • Day, S., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Hay, P., Lonergan, A. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'Associations of weight- or shape-related bullying with diverse disordered eating behaviors in adolescents', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 54, no 9 , pp 1641 - 1651.
  • Wade, T., Calvert, S., Thompson, E., Wild, C., Mitchison, D. and Hay, P. (2021), 'A co-designed consumer checklist to support people with eating disorders to locate evidence-based treatment', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 54, no 8 , pp 1400 - 1404.
  • Trompeter, N., Bussey, K., Forbes, M. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'Emotion dysregulation within the CBT-E model of eating disorders : a narrative review', Cognitive Therapy and Research, vol 45, no 6 , pp 1021 - 1036.
  • Trompeter, N., Bussey, K., Forbes, M., Mond, J., Hay, P., Basten, C., Goldstein, M., Thornton, C., Heruc, G., Byrne, S., Griffiths, S., Lonergan, A., Touyz, S. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'Differences between Australian adolescents with eating disorder symptoms who are in treatment or not in treatment for an eating disorder', Early Intervention in Psychiatry, vol 15, no 4 , pp 882 - 888.
  • Sankaranarayanan, A., Johnson, K., Mammen, S., Wilding, H., Vasani, D., Murali, V., Mitchison, D., Castle, D. and Hay, P. (2021), 'Disordered eating among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders : a systematic review', Nutrients, vol 13, no 11 .
  • Prnjak, K., Hay, P., Mond, J., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'The distinct role of body image aspects in predicting eating disorder onset in adolescents after one year', Journal of Abnormal Psychology, vol 130, no 3 , pp 236 - 247.
  • Ganson, K., Murray, S., Mitchison, D., Hawkins, M., Layman, H., Tabler, J. and Nagata, J. (2021), 'Associations between adverse childhood experiences and performance-enhancing substance use among young adults', Substance Use and Misuse, vol 56, no 6 , pp 854 - 860.
  • Santomauro, D., Melen, S., Mitchison, D., Vos, T., Whiteford, H. and Ferrari, A. (2021), 'The hidden burden of eating disorders : an extension of estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019', The Lancet Psychiatry, vol 8, no 4 , pp 320 - 328.
  • Hay, P. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'Urbanization and eating disorders : a scoping review of studies from 2019 to 2020', Current Opinion in Psychiatry, vol 34, no 3 , pp 287 - 292.
  • Roche, C., Trompeter, N., Bussey, K., Mond, J., Cunningham, M., Murray, S., Lonergan, A. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'Gender compatibility and drive for muscularity among adolescent boys : examining the indirect effect of emotion regulation difficulties', Body Image, vol 39 , pp 213 - 220.
  • Mehr, J., Mitchison, D., Bowrey, H. and James, M. (2021), 'Sleep dysregulation in binge eating disorder and "food addiction" : the orexin (hypocretin) system as a potential neurobiological link', Neuropsychopharmacology, vol 46, no 12 , pp 2051 - 2061.
  • Cunningham, M., Rodgers, R., Pinkus, R., Nagata, J., Trompeter, N., Mitchison, D., Murray, S., Szabo, M. and Lavender, J. (2021), 'Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Muscularity-Oriented Eating Test in university women in Australia', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 54, no 11 , pp 1956 - 1966.
  • Chu, J., Ganson, K., Vittinghoff, E., Mitchison, D., Hay, P., Tabler, J., Rodgers, R., Murray, S. and Nagata, J. (2021), 'Weight goals, disordered eating behaviors, and BMI trajectories in US young adults', Journal of General Internal Medicine, vol 36, no 9 , pp 2622 - 2630.
  • Trompeter, N., Bussey, K., Forbes, M., Mond, J., Hay, P., Cunningham, M. and Mitchison, D. (2021), 'Emotion dysregulation across the span of eating disorder symptoms : findings from a community sample of adolescents', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 54, no 11 , pp 1946 - 1955.
  • Compte, E., Nagata, J., Sepulveda, A., Silva, B., Cortes, C., Bidacovich, G., Brown, T., Blashill, A., Lavender, J., Mitchison, D., Mond, J., Castillo, I., Lopez, P., Mui?os, R., Rutsztein, G., Torrente, F. and Murray, S. (2021), 'Development and validation of a multicultural Spanish-language version of the Muscularity-Oriented Eating Test (MOET) in Argentina', Eating Behaviors, vol 43 .
  • Thapliyal, P., Mitchison, D., Mond, J. and Hay, P. (2020), 'Gender and help-seeking for an eating disorder : findings from a general population sample', Eating and Weight Disorders, vol 25 , pp 215 - 220.
  • Bullivant, B., Mitchison, D., Skromanis, S. and Mond, J. (2020), 'Elucidating individuals' beliefs about the severity of eating disorders and obesity : implications for public health programs', Eating and Weight Disorders, vol 25 , pp 928 - 938.
  • Mitchison, D., Mond, J., Bussey, K., Griffiths, S., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A., Pike, K., Murray, S. and Hay, P. (2020), 'DSM-5 full syndrome, other specified, and unspecified eating disorders in Australian adolescents : prevalence and clinical significance', Psychological Medicine, vol 50, no 6 , pp 981 - 990.
  • Fatt, S., Mond, J., Bussey, K., Griffiths, S., Murray, S., Lonergan, A., Hay, P., Trompeter, N. and Mitchison, D. (2020), 'Help-seeking for body image problems among adolescents with eating disorders : findings from the EveryBODY study', Eating and Weight Disorders, vol 25 , pp 1267 - 1275.
  • Brooks, K., Mond, J., Mitchison, D., Stevenson, R., Challinor, K. and Stephen, I. (2020), 'Looking at the figures : visual adaptation as a mechanism for body-size and -shape misperception', Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol 15, no 1 , pp 133 - 149.
  • Murray, S., Compte, E., Quintana, D., Mitchison, D., Griffiths, S. and Nagata, J. (2020), 'Registration, reporting, and replication in clinical trials : the case of anorexia nervosa', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 53, no 1 , pp 138 - 142.
  • Lei, X., Bussey, K., Hay, P., Mond, J., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A. and Mitchison, D. (2020), 'Prevalence and correlates of sexual harassment in Australian adolescents', Journal of School Violence, vol 19, no 3 , pp 349 - 361.
  • Pursey, K., Hay, P., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A., Pike, K., Mond, J. and Mitchison, D. (2020), 'Diabetes and disordered eating behaviours in a community-based sample of Australian adolescents', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 8, no 1 .
  • Bullivant, B., Rhydderch, S., Griffiths, S., Mitchison, D. and Mond, J. (2020), 'Eating disorders "mental health literacy" : a scoping review', Journal of Mental Health, vol 29, no 3 , pp 336 - 349.
  • Lonergan, A., Bussey, K., Fardouly, J., Griffiths, S., Murray, S., Hay, P., Mond, J., Trompeter, N. and Mitchison, D. (2020), 'Protect me from my selfie : examining the association between photo-based social media behaviors and self-reported eating disorders in adolescence', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 53, no 5 , pp 755 - 766.
  • Prnjak, K., Mitchison, D., Griffiths, S., Mond, J., Gideon, N., Serpell, L. and Hay, P. (2020), 'Further development of the 12-item EDE-QS : identifying a cut-off for screening purposes', BMC Psychiatry, vol 20 .
  • Nagata, J., Ganson, K., Gorrell, S., Mitchison, D. and Murray, S. (2020), 'Association between legal performance-enhancing substances and use of anabolic-androgenic steroids in young adults', JAMA Pediatrics, vol 174, no 10 , pp 992 - 993.
  • Burt, A., Mitchison, D., Dale, E., Bussey, K., Trompeter, N., Lonergan, A. and Hay, P. (2020), 'Prevalence, features and health impacts of eating disorders amongst First-Australian Yiramarang (adolescents) and in comparison with other Australian adolescents', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 8 .
  • Burt, A., Mitchison, D., Doyle, K. and Hay, P. (2020), 'Eating disorders amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians : a scoping review', Journal of Eating disorders, vol 8, no 1 .
  • Ganson, K., Mitchison, D., Murray, S. and Nagata, J. (2020), 'Legal performance-enhancing substances and substance use problems among young adults', Pediatrics, vol 146, no 3 .
  • Nagata, J., Ganson, K., Cunningham, M., Mitchison, D., Lavender, J., Blashill, A., Gooding, H. and Murray, S. (2020), 'Associations between legal performance-enhancing substance use and future cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults : a prospective cohort study', PLoS One, vol 15, no 12 .
  • Mitchison, D., Bussey, K., Touyz, S., Gonzalez-Chica, D., Musker, M., Stocks, N., Licinio, J. and Hay, P. (2019), 'Shared associations between histories of victimisation among people with eating disorder symptoms and higher weight', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, vol 53, no 6 , pp 540 - 549.
  • Li, N., Mitchison, D., Touyz, S. and Hay, P. (2019), 'Cross-sectional comparison of health-related quality of life and other features in people with and without objective and subjective binge eating using a general population sample', BMJ Open, vol 9, no 2 .
  • Trompeter, N., Bussey, K., Hay, P., Griffiths, S., Murray, S., Mond, J., Lonergan, A., Pike, K. and Mitchison, D. (2019), 'Fear of negative evaluation among eating disorders : examining the association with weight/shape concerns in adolescence', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 52, no 3 , pp 261 - 269.
  • Griffiths, S., Murray, S., Mitchison, D., Castle, D. and Mond, J. (2019), 'Relative strength of the associations of body fat, muscularity, height, and penis size dissatisfaction with psychological quality of life impairment among sexual minority men', Psychology of Men and Masculinity, vol 20, no 1 , pp 55 - 60.
  • Lonergan, A., Bussey, K., Mond, J., Brown, O., Griffiths, S., Murray, S. and Mitchison, D. (2019), 'Me, my selfie, and I : the relationship between editing and posting selfies and body dissatisfaction in men and women', Body Image, vol 28 , pp 39 - 43.
  • Dias Santana, D., Mitchison, D., Griffiths, S., Appolinario, J., Veiga, G., Touyz, S. and Hay, P. (2019), 'Ten-year time trends in mental and physical health correlates of weight/shape overvaluation', European Eating Disorders Review, vol 27, no 5 , pp 531 - 540.
  • Hay, P. and Mitchison, D. (2019), 'Eating disorders and obesity : the challenge for our times', Nutrients, vol 11, no 5 .
  • Nagata, J., Murray, S., Bibbins-Domingo, K., Garber, A., Mitchison, D. and Griffiths, S. (2019), 'Predictors of muscularity-oriented disordered eating behaviors in U.S. young adults : a prospective cohort study', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 52, no 12 , pp 1380 - 1388.
  • Murray, S., Brown, T., Blashill, A., Compte, E., Lavender, J., Mitchison, D., Mond, J., Keel, P. and Nagata, J. (2019), 'The development and validation of the muscularity-oriented eating test : a novel measure of muscularity-oriented disordered eating', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 52, no 12 , pp 1389 - 1398.
  • Murray, S., Heathers, J., Schauer, R., Griffiths, S., Mitchison, D., Mond, J. and Nagata, J. (2019), 'Postpublication metrics of randomized clinical trials with and without null findings', JAMA, vol 321, no 18 , pp 1825 - 1826.
  • Dias Santana, D., Mitchison, D., Gonzalez-Chica, D., Touyz, S., Stocks, N., Appolinario, J., Da Veiga, G. and Hay, P. (2019), 'Associations between self-reported diabetes mellitus, disordered eating behaviours, weight/shape overvaluation, and health-related quality of life', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 7, no 1 .
  • Brooks, K., Baldry, E., Mond, J., Stevenson, R., Mitchison, D. and Stephen, I. (2019), 'Gender and the body size aftereffect : implications for neural processing', Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol 13 .
  • Bullivant, B., Denham, A., Stephens, C., Olson, R., Mitchison, D., Gill, T., Maguire, S., Latner, J., Hay, P., Rodgers, B., Stevenson, R., Touyz, S. and Mond, J. (2019), 'Elucidating knowledge and beliefs about obesity and eating disorders among key stakeholders : paving the way for an integrated approach to health promotion', BMC Public Health, vol 19 .
  • Thapliyal, P., Mitchison, D., Miller, C., Bowden, J., Gonzalez-Chica, D., Stocks, N., Touyz, S. and Hay, P. (2018), 'Comparison of mental health treatment status and use of antidepressants in men and women with eating disorders', Eating Disorders, vol 26, no 3 , pp 248 - 262.
  • Mitchison, D., Rieger, E., Harrison, C., Murray, S., Griffiths, S. and Mond, J. (2018), 'Indicators of clinical significance among women in the community with binge-eating disorder symptoms : delineating the roles of binge frequency, body mass index, and overvaluation', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 51, no 2 , pp 165 - 169.
  • Griffiths, S., Mitchison, D., Murray, S. and Mond, J. (2018), 'Pornography use in sexual minority males : associations with body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, thoughts about using anabolic steroids and quality of life', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, vol 52, no 4 , pp 339 - 348.
  • Trompeter, N., Bussey, K., Hay, P., Mond, J., Murray, S., Lonergan, A., Griffiths, S., Pike, K. and Mitchison, D. (2018), 'Fear of negative evaluation and weight/shape concerns among among adolescents : the moderating effects of gender and weight status', Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol 47, no 7 , pp 1398 - 1408.
  • Luz, F., Sainsbury, A., Mannan, H., Touyz, S., Mitchison, D., Girosi, F. and Hay, P. (2018), 'An investigation of relationships between disordered eating behaviors, weight/shape overvaluation and mood in the general population', Appetite, vol 129 , pp 19 - 24.
  • Burton, A., Mitchison, D., Hay, P., Donnelly, B., Thornton, C., Russell, J., Swinbourne, J., Basten, C., Goldstein, M., Touyz, S. and Abbott, M. (2018), 'Beliefs about binge eating : psychometric properties of the Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ-18) in eating disorder, obese, and community samples', Nutrients, vol 10, no 9 .
  • Griffiths, S., Mitchison, D., Murray, S., Mond, J. and Bastian, B. (2018), 'How might eating disorders stigmatization worsen eating disorders symptom severity? : evaluation of a stigma internalization model', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 51, no 8 , pp 1010 - 1014.
  • Murray, S., Pila, E., Mond, J., Mitchison, D., Blashill, A., Sabiston, C. and Griffiths, S. (2018), 'Cheat meals : a benign or ominous variant of binge eating behavior?', Appetite, vol 130 , pp 274 - 278.
  • Sharpe, H., Griffiths, S., Choo, T., Eisenberg, M., Mitchison, D., Wall, M. and Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2018), 'The relative importance of dissatisfaction, overvaluation and preoccupation with weight and shape for predicting onset of disordered eating behaviors and depressive symptoms over 15 years', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 51, no 10 , pp 1168 - 1175.
  • Griffiths, S., Rossell, S., Mitchison, D., Murray, S. and Mond, J. (2018), 'Pathways into treatment for eating disorders : a quantitative examination of treatment barriers and treatment attitudes', Eating Disorders, vol 26, no 6 , pp 556 - 574.
  • Purton, T., Officer, C., Bullivant, B., Mitchison, D., Griffiths, S., Murray, S. and Mond, J. (2018), 'Body dissatisfaction, narcissism and self-esteem in young men and women : a moderated mediation analysis', Personality and Individual Differences, vol 131 , pp 99 - 104.
  • Hart, L., Mitchison, D., Mitchison, D. and Hay, P. (2018), 'The case for a national survey of eating disorders in Australia', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 6, no 1 .
  • Murray, S., Pila, E., Mond, J., Mitchison, D., Nauman, E. and Griffiths, S. (2018), 'Global trends in high impact psychiatry research', World Psychiatry, vol 17, no 3 , pp 368 - 370.
  • Mitchison, D., Hay, P., Griffiths, S., Murray, S., Bentley, C., Gratwick-Sarll, K., Harrison, C. and Mond, J. (2017), 'Disentangling body image : the relative associations of overvaluation, dissatisfaction, and preoccupation with psychological distress and eating disorder behaviors in male and female adolescents', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 50, no 2 , pp 118 - 126.
  • Murray, S., Griffiths, S., Mitchison, D. and Mond, J. (2017), 'The transition from thinness-oriented to muscularity-oriented disordered eating in adolescent males : a clinical observation', Journal of Adolescent Health, vol 60, no 3 , pp 353 - 355.
  • Mulders-Jones, B., Mitchison, D., Girosi, F. and Hay, P. (2017), 'Socioeconomic correlates of eating disorder symptoms in an Australian population-based sample', PLoS One, vol 12, no 1 .
  • Luz, F., Sainsbury, A., Mannan, H., Touyz, S., Mitchison, D. and Hay, P. (2017), 'Prevalence of obesity and comorbid eating disorder behaviors in South Australia from 1995 to 2015', International Journal of Obesity, vol 41 , pp 1148 - 1153.
  • Mitchison, D., Touyz, S., Gonzalez-Chica, D., Stocks, N. and Hay, P. (2017), 'How abnormal is binge eating? : 18-year time trends in population prevalence and burden', Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, vol 136, no 2 , pp 147 - 155.
  • Thapliyal, P., Mitchison, D. and Hay, P. (2017), 'Insights into the experiences of treatment for an eating disorder in men : a qualitative study of autobiographies', Behavioral Sciences, vol 7, no 2 .
  • Hay, P., Mitchison, D., Lopez Collado, A., Gonzalez-Chica, D., Stocks, N. and Touyz, S. (2017), 'Burden and health-related quality of life of eating disorders, including Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), in the Australian population', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 5 .
  • Challinor, K., Mond, J., Stephen, I., Mitchison, D., Stevenson, R., Hay, P. and Brooks, K. (2017), 'Body size and shape misperception and visual adaptation : an overview of an emerging research paradigm', Journal of International Medical Research, vol 45, no 6 , pp 2001 - 2008.
  • Cunningham, M., Griffiths, S., Mitchison, D., Mond, J., Castle, D. and Murray, S. (2017), 'Muscle dysmorphia : an overview of clinical features and treatment options', Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, vol 31, no 4 , pp 255 - 271.
  • Murray, S., Nagata, J., Griffiths, S., Calzo, J., Brown, T., Mitchison, D., Blashill, A. and Mond, J. (2017), 'The enigma of male eating disorders : a critical review and synthesis', Clinical Psychology Review, vol 57 , pp 1 - 11.
  • Pila, E., Mond, J., Griffiths, S., Mitchison, D. and Murray, S. (2017), 'A thematic content analysis of #cheatmeal images on social media : characterizing an emerging dietary trend', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 50, no 6 , pp 698 - 706.
  • Griffiths, S., Hay, P., Mitchison, D., Mond, J., McLean, S., Rodgers, B., Massey, R. and Paxton, S. (2016), 'Sex differences in the relationships between body dissatisfaction, quality of life and psychological distress', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, vol 40, no 6 , pp 518 - 522.
  • Harrison, C., Mitchison, D., Rieger, E., Rodgers, B. and Mond, J. (2016), 'Emotion regulation difficulties in binge eating disorder with and without the overvaluation of weight and shape', Psychiatry Research, vol 245 , pp 436 - 442.
  • Mitchison, D., Dawson, L., Hand, L., Mond, J. and Hay, P. (2016), 'Quality of life as a vulnerability and recovery factor in eating disorders : a community-based study', BMC Psychiatry, vol 16, no 1 .
  • Griffiths, S., Costa, D., Boyd, J., Murray, S., Mitchison, D. and Mond, J. (2016), 'Facilitating research on eating disorders stigma : validation of the internalised stigma of mental illness scale for use in people with eating disorders', Advances in Eating Disorders: Theory, Research and Practice, vol 4, no 3 , pp 293 - 308.
  • Griffiths, S., Murray, S., Mitchison, D. and Mond, J. (2016), 'Anabolic steroids : lots of muscle in the short-term, potentially devastating health consequences in the long-term', Drug and Alcohol Review, vol 35, no 4 , pp 375 - 376.
  • Mitchison, D., Morin, A., Mond, J., Younan, S. and Hay, P. (2015), 'The bidirectional relationship between quality of life and eating disorder symptoms : a 9-year community-based study of Australian women', PLoS One, vol 10, no 3 .
  • Mitchison, D. and Mond, J. (2015), 'Epidemiology of eating disorders, eating disordered behaviour, and body image disturbance in males : a narrative review', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 3, no 1 .
  • Mitchison, D., Jakes, S., Kelly, S. and Rhodes, J. (2015), 'Are young people hospitalised with psychosis interested in psychological therapy?', Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, vol 22, no 1 , pp 22 - 31.
  • Mitchison, D. and Hay, P. (2014), 'The epidemiology of eating disorders : genetic, environmental, and societal factors', Clinical Epidemiology, vol 6, no 1 , pp 89 - 97.
  • Mitchison, D., Hay, P., Younan, S. and Mond, J. (2014), 'The changing demographic profile of eating disorder behaviors in the community', BMC Public Health, vol 14 .
  • Mitchison, D., Hay, P., Mond, J. and Younan, S. (2013), 'Self-reported history of anorexia nervosa and current quality of life : findings from a community-based study', Quality of Life Research, vol 22, no 2 , pp 273 - 281.
  • Mitchison, D., Mond, J., Younan, S. and Hay, P. (2013), 'Sex differences in health-related quality of life impairment associated with eating disorder features : a general population study', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 46, no 4 , pp 375 - 380.
  • Mitchison, D., Hay, P., Engel, S., Crosby, R., Le Grange, D., Lacey, H., Mond, J., Younan, S. and Touyz, S. (2013), 'Assessment of quality of life in people with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa : a comparison of generic and specific instruments', BMC Psychiatry, vol 13 .
  • Mitchison, D., Crino, R. and Hay, P. (2013), 'The presence, predictive utility, and clinical significance of body dysmorphic symptoms in women with eating disorders', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 1, no 1 .
  • Mond, J., Mitchison, D., Latner, J., Hay, P., Owen, C. and Rodgers, B. (2013), 'Quality of life impairment associated with body dissatisfaction in a general population sample of women', BMC Public Health, vol 13, no 1 .
  • Mitchison, D., Hay, P., Younan, S. and Mond, J. (2012), 'Time trends in population prevalence of eating disorder behaviors and their relationship to quality of life', PLoS One, vol 7, no 11 .
  • Mitchison, D., Butow, P., Sze, M., Aldridge, L., Hui, R., Vardy, J., Eisenbruch, M., Iedema, R. and Goldstein, D. (2012), 'Prognostic communication preferences of migrant patients and their relatives', Psycho-Oncology, vol 21, no 5 , pp 496 - 504.

Other Publications

  • 2023, 'Final Report: Clinical Evaluation of the Wandi Nerida Residential Care Facility', Report

Deb Mitchison is a researcher and a clinical psychologist, specialising in eating and body image disorders. Her research is directed at reducing the burden of eating disorders and associated body image problems within the population. She currently makes progress toward this aim by leading two programs of research.

The first is the study of eating disorder epidemiology, including the prevalence, burden, course, health service utilisation and risk factors associated with eating and body image disorders. This research applies survey methods to large population-based samples and cohorts.

The second is the study of treatment-seeking and health service use among people with eating disorders. This research makes use of a clinical database that pools client information from eating disorder treatment centres around Australia, as well as population-based survey methods to study facilitators and barriers to treatment-seeking.

These two arms of research converge to highlight 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 close the treatment gap for people with eating disorders.

Research Interests

  • Eating disorders
  • Body dysmorphic disorder
  • Muscle dysmorphia
  • Epidemiological research methods
  • Health services research

Research & Publications

  • For a complete list of publications, see Deb's publications page (opens in new window)

This information has been contributed by Doctor Mitchison.

Current Projects

Title: Clinical evaluation of the Wandi Nerida Residential care facility
Funder:
  • Butterfly Foundation
  • Butterfly Foundation
  • University of Western Sydney
Western Researchers: Phillipa Hay, Deborah Mitchison, Aunty Kerrie Doyle, Lucie Ramjan, Haider Mannan, Janet Conti and Kathy Tannous
Years: 2021-07-14 - 2025-05-31
ID: P00027511

Previous Projects

Title: Breaking down drive for muscularity and leanness in community adolescents: A network analysis [Katarina Prnjak]
Funder:
  • Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders Inc (ANZAED)
Western Researchers: Deborah Mitchison
Years: 2021-04-07 - 2022-09-30
ID: P00027312

Supervision

Current Supervision

Thesis Title: SOM Psychometric Development of a Novel Multidmesional Body Image Measure
Field of Research:

Previous Supervision

Thesis Title: Clinical and Cost Effectiveness of the First Residential Facility for the Treatment of Eating Disorders in Australia
Field of Research:

Media

Title: Concerns Indigenous Australians missing out on eating disorder treatment
Description: ABC News Journalist Charmayne Allison interviewed Deb Mitchison for an online article and radio segment exploring the reasons behind the low rates of treatment access for Aboriginal Australians with eating disorders. Also interviewed are Aboriginal researcher, Dr Liz Dale, and Aboriginal consultant, AJ Williams.
Title: Where's the limit to enhancing your looks?
Description: Podcast host Sam Ikin interviews Deb Mitchison about the drive to alter appearance, where this stems from, and when it has gone too far.
Title: ???Why don???t you just stop????: living with Australia???s most common eating disorder
Description: Manuela Callari discusses Dr Mitchison's research uncovering the hidden burden of binge eating disorder and shines a light on how common and debilitating this condition in and the problems of its continued under-detection in primary care settings.
Title: Binge eating disorder
Description: Wikipedia entry citing Dr Mitchison's epidemiological research on the high prevalence of binge eating.
Title: Eating disorders vs disordered eating: Whats the difference?
Description: Dr Mitchison discusses the distinction between unhealthy eating and weight loss behaviours and clinical eating disorders, and when treatment might be needed.
Title: Fat-shaming: How to survive in a society based on appearance
Description: Live interview with Ruby Innes on 2ser Radio Sydney discussing the negative and counterproductive impact of fat-shaming on people's body image and eating behaviour.
Title: Forty per cent of NSW teenagers report experiencing sexual harassment at school
Description: The Sydney Morning Herald highlight findings from the EveryBODY Study led by Dr Mitchison that 2 in 5 adolescent boys and girls report a recent experience of unwanted sexual harassment.
Title: Incredible bulk: Boys suffer too
Description: Front page story of the Newcastle Herald discussing findings from the EveryBODY Study uncovering the under-recognised burden of eating disorders among boys.
Title: Stereotype that eating disorders only impact skinny teenagers is wrong
Description: Annabel Hennessey discusses findings from Dr Mitchison and Prof Hay's epidemiological research that demonstrates the higher burden of eating disorders among people in larger bodies.

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