Eating disorders

Eating disorders are common among students, yet support services are often difficult to navigate and lack specific expertise.

Dr Nicola Byrom from King's College London and her team aim to improve support for university students with eating disorders, by addressing gaps in access to care and service effectiveness. Her research has highlighted the need for universities to improve the visibility of existing support, clarify limitations of services, and collaborate with the NHS to streamline access to specialised care.

To share their findings, Dr Byrom will organise a major conference in 2026, co-hosted with Student Minds and involving students with lived experience of eating disorders. The event will bring together 150 delegates, including service leaders, researchers, and clinicians, to discuss practical solutions for improving eating disorder support. In the lead-up to the conference, the team will collaborate with students who have lived experience of eating disorders, to shape the conference content and ensure it reflects genuine student perspectives.

Dr Byrom's goal is to empower university service leaders with clear, actionable recommendations to enhance eating disorder support. By fostering collaboration between universities, the NHS, and student advocacy groups, she aims to drive meaningful policy and practice changes, ultimately making it easier for students with eating disorders to access the care they need.