Two students are working to ensure that students suffering from eating disorders will have an opportunity to seek anonymous help on campus.
Two weeks ago, AMS Assembly passed a motion expressing formal support of Andrea Sorichetti, Phys
Ed ’08, and Jessica Litman, ArtSci ’08, in their endeavour to establish an anonymous support group
on campus for students seeking treatment for eating disorders.
“When we arrived in Kingston, we came here aware that there were no resources on campus for
students seeking anonymous help for dealing with eating disorders,” Sorichetti told the Journal.
Allison Williams, AMS social issues comissioner, said the establishment of an on-campus support group is important in order to bring Queen’s up to par with services that other schools are already offering. Hope Garden, a support centre in London, has been a primary resource for students at Western seeking treatment. Programs for helping those with eating disorders have already been established at
many other universities, including Guelph, Toronto and York.
The AMS hasn’t yet made any financial commitments to the initiative.
Sorichetti said she she hopes to receive funding from the office of the dean of student affairs.
“If we don’t get any funding from Jason Laker, we’ll definitely approach the AMS about that,” she said. Sorichetti said the group will be modeled after Sheena’s Place, a clinic in Toronto that offers anonymous help to people suffering from eating disorders without needing a referral.
She said she hopes to be connected with the eating disorder clinic at Hotel Dieu and will work
with Health, Counselling and Disability Services, who will refer people to the support group.
“Next year, we’re hoping to go to residence to let them know there are options,” she said, adding that people using the service will fill out a confidentiality agreement.
“I think a lot of girls who come will be respectful of each other. With Sheena’s place, everyone is
very respectful and it’ll work the same way.” Sorichetti said they also have to consult the University’s lawyer with respect to liability.
“We’re not like a treatment program. We don’t want to be reliable for that. It’s more of a support group rather than in patient treatment,” she said. Sorichetti said she and Litman have worked closely with Principal Karen Hitchcock on the initiative. “She is very interested in our progress and supportive,”
Sorichetti said.
The two students also contacted HCD S Director Mike Condra, who has arranged for a room in which the group can meet and is helping them in their search for a facilitator. They are now currently in the process of writing a proposal for HCDS. Sorichetti said the facilitator will ask questions and keep
discussion going. Sorichetti said she hopes the group’s creation will encourage students afraid of getting a referral to an eating disorder clinic to seek help.
“There’s a negative stigma associated with eating disorders. People are afraid to say ‘I have an eating disorder. I need help,’ ” she said. “A lot of people suffer from eating disorders, and for it to be
swept to the side because of this negative stigma will only create more victims.”
The support group is projected to begin at the beginning of next year.
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