Number of children hospitalised for eating disorders doubles, new figures show

Between 2018 and 2022, there were 6,472 child and adolescent inpatient admissions due to mental or behavioural disorders to psychiatric and medical hospitals — about one quarter (24%) were for an eating disorder. File picture

Hospital admissions for eating disorders among children in Ireland have more than doubled in just five years, according to new research.

A new study has found a 121% rise in hospitalisations for under-18s between 2018 and 2022 — from 170 admissions in 2018 to 375 in 2022 — with a sharp spike during the pandemic.