The Potential for Large Language Models in Eating Disorder Care: Opportunities for Education, Detection and Assessment, and Intervention
- 1School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, 75 Pigdons Road, Geelong, Victoria 3216 Australia
Abstract
Purpose of Review: Large language models (LLMs) are anticipated to transform the eating disorder field, offering new opportunities for education, detection and assessment, and intervention. This paper synthesizes evidence on these emerging opportunities and sets a future research agenda.
Recent Findings: Early research provides encouraging evidence that LLMs have clinically relevant capabilities in eating disorders. For education, LLMs can provide accurate responses to consumer-facing eating disorder queries, although performance varies by topic complexity. For detection and assessment, LLMs can identify probable diagnoses from vignettes and translate online discourse into risk signals. For intervention, LLMs are capable of providing empathic support and caregiver guidance, but can also generate harmful outputs.
Summary: LLMs offer opportunities to expand access to eating disorder support. The evidence base, safeguards, and evaluation standards established now will determine whether these tools can be used safely in practice, necessitating the need for further research in clinical settings.
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BibTeX
@article{linardon2026potential,
title = {{The Potential for Large Language Models in Eating Disorder Care: Opportunities for Education, Detection and Assessment, and Intervention}},
author = {Jake Linardon},
journal = {Current Psychiatry Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s11920-026-01721-0},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-026-01721-0},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The Potential for Large Language Models in Eating Disorder Care: Opportunities for Education, Detection and Assessment, and Intervention
AU - Jake Linardon
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/27
JO - Current Psychiatry Reports
DO - 10.1007/s11920-026-01721-0
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-026-01721-0
AB - Purpose of Review: Large language models (LLMs) are anticipated to transform the eating disorder field, offering new opportunities for education, detection and assessment, and intervention. This paper synthesizes evidence on these emerging opportunities and sets a future research agenda. Recent Findings: Early research provides encouraging evidence that LLMs have clinically relevant capabilities in eating disorders. For education, LLMs can provide accurate responses to consumer-facing eating disorder queries, although performance varies by topic complexity. For detection and assessment, LLMs can identify probable diagnoses from vignettes and translate online discourse into risk signals. For intervention, LLMs are capable of providing empathic support and caregiver guidance, but can also generate harmful outputs. Summary: LLMs offer opportunities to expand access to eating disorder support. The evidence base, safeguards, and evaluation standards established now will determine whether these tools can be used safely in practice, necessitating the need for further research in clinical settings.
SN - 1523-3812
SN - 1535-1645
ER -