Latest News: 06-02-2006
Eating Disorders & Young People
Many young people with eating disorders feel unable to tell anyone about their problems, according to a report released by the Eating Disorders Association.
Speaking today on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Susan Ringwood, Chief Executive of the Eating Disorders Association, described how out of 1000 young people they surveyed, 45% felt they could not talk to anyone, even though most parents thought it was an approachable topic to discuss with their children.
The survey indicates one of the reasons for young people not talking about their problems is because an eating disorder feels like a coping mechanism for something, and not being able to have that way of coping anymore is a frightening thought.
Joining the discussion, Louis Appleby, Mental Health Czar at the Department of Health, admitted that while awareness of eating disorders among health professionals is increasing, the skills of those professionals who provide care to people with these illnesses have probably not yet reached a satisfactory level.
He went on to say that an added complication is the fear that someone with an eating disorder has about getting help and talking to someone – this can be greater than the fear of the eating disorder itself. It's when the fear of an eating disorder becomes greater than the fear of getting help that people actually try to get help.
While clinical guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders (prepared by NICE, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence), may be a step in the right direction, according to the Eating Disorders Association's research, few GPs actually refer to the guidelines when diagnosing an eating disorder.
The research also shows many young people are waiting more than 6 months before seeking help, while GPs report they are seeing people 6 months too late.
Young people with eating disorders also reported that when they did muster the courage to seek treatment, when they got there they felt they were not treated as compassionately as they would be if they had a physical illness. In addition they felt as though they were not really listened to.
It would seem that while awareness and provisions for care in the health service are improving, people cannot necessarily expect the same level of care wherever they may be in the country.
Some suggestions for improving things for people with eating disorders that came to light during the discussion include:
- Helping parents to raise the issue with their children
- Greater publicity for NICE and follow up after implementation
- Increasing the number of therapists specialising in eating disorders
- Promoting mental health for young people in schools
Click here for the NICE eating disorders clinical guidelines »