Scott Griffiths
BODY IMAGE RESEARCHER
Australian National University, Australia
body image, eating disorders, substance use, anabolic-androgenic steroids, muscle dysmorphia
Dr. Scott Griffiths is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, a Lecturer at the University of Canberra, and Secretary of the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders. Scott completed his PhD on eating disorders in males in April 2016. Scott is particularly interested in the use of performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) among individuals with muscularity-focused eating and body image disorders, including muscle dysmorphia, and sometimes called ‘reverse anorexia’ or ‘bigorexia’. Upcoming research projects include longitudinal studies of men who use PIEDs and men with muscle dysmorphia, with focus on improving diagnostic criteria, exploring help-seeking and stigma, and amenability to mental health treatment options. Scott is actively involved with peak professional and charitable eating disorder bodies, including the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders and the Butterfly Foundation, and seeks to connect the expertise of health professionals in the eating disorders arena with clients who suffer from muscularity-focused body image and eating concerns and disorders. Scott’s position is that PIEDs, and anabolic steroids in particular, can be viewed as muscularity-focused analogues of the laxatives and diuretics frequently taken by individuals suffering from thinness-oriented eating disorders, and that muscle dysmorphia may be a muscularity-focused analogue of anorexia nervosa. Scott is involved in the development and evaluation of treatments for muscle dysmorphia and steroid use and has conducted clinical workshops on these topics at national and international eating disorder conferences.