Child eating disorder cases double

The findings show that many young people are experiencing 'high rates of stress, anxiety and depression' and that the rise in eating disorder admissions was 'deeply troubling'.

Eating disorder admissions to child inpatient psychiatric units have more than doubled in the last five years, new figures show.

Almost all of the admissions involved females, with girls also accounting for three out of four admissions for neuroses, numbers of which increased sharply in the last year.

Mental health groups said the findings — detailed in a report by the Health Research Board — show that many young people are experiencing “high rates of stress, anxiety and depression” and that the rise in eating disorder admissions was “deeply troubling”.

The HRB report found there was a total of 366 admissions of children under the age of 18 in 2022 to four HSE units and two independent facilities. This is down 28% on 2021 when there were 509 admissions.

Though the report does not cite it as a factor, one of the four units, Linn Dara in west Dublin, closed 11 of its 24 beds from May of 2022 because of staffing issues.

The proportion of admissions by main diagnosis in 2022, compared to 2021, shows:

• *23% were for depressive disorders (30% in 2021);
• *22% were for eating disorders (23% in 2021);
• *16% had a diagnosis of neuroses (10% in 2021);
• *10% were for schizophrenia (10% in 2021);
• *9% had a diagnosis of personality and behavioural disorders (9% in 2021) 

“The proportion of eating disorders for all under 18s has increased from 11% in 2019, 18% in 2020 to 23% in 2021, with a similar percentage reported in 2022, at 22%," the report said.

“The number of admissions for eating disorders has more than doubled in the last five years, from 33 in 2018 to 80 in 2022.” 

It said that admissions for neuroses rose from 49 in 2021 to 58 in 2022.

The report, compiled by Antoinette Daly and Ena Lynn, found that females accounted for:

• Almost 98% of all admissions for eating disorders (96% in 2021);
• 69% of all admissions with depressive disorders (64% in 2021);
• 74% of admissions with neurosis (65% in 2021) 

Ber Grogan, policy and research manager of Mental Health Reform, said: “Since the pandemic, the number of children and young people seeking mental health care has drastically increased. Many young people are experiencing high rates of stress, anxiety and depression.” 

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She said the reduction in admissions in 2022 was significant, but said the partial closure of Linn Dara last year could be a factor.

Ms Grogan said higher admission rates for females echoed a recent report from the Ombudsman for Children which found that mental health issues were “significantly more common” among girls.

“It is deeply troubling that the number of admissions for eating disorders has more than doubled in the last five years,” Ms Grogan said.

“Since the pandemic began, there has been a sharp rise in eating disorders among young females with more severe clinical presentations.” 

She said, as previously reported in the Irish Examiner, there were no new eating disorder teams funded for this year.

Ms Grogan added: “It is critically important that the Government invest in early intervention and prevention to ensure young people can access timely support in their community. Early intervention measures are key to preventing more complex mental health difficulties and reducing admissions to inpatient units."