Eating disorders were the main reason for children being admitted to psychiatric hospitals and units last year for the first time, a new report has found.
The Health Research Board (HRB) published research on Tuesday into the activities of Irish psychiatric units and hospitals last year which showed there were a total of 322 admissions of people under 18, a decrease on previous years.
However, the authors of the report highlight that this decrease could be due to the closure of a number of beds for children and adolescents. Currently, just 51 beds are open out of a total of 72.
For the first time, eating disorders accounted for the highest number of all child admissions, at 23.9 per cent, slightly ahead of depressive disorders at 23.6 per cent.
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The proportion of admissions of children with a primary diagnosis of an eating disorder increased from 11 per cent in 2019 to 18 per cent in 2020, 23 per cent in 2021 and 22 per cent in 2022.
The total number of such admissions increased by 43 per cent in the last five years, from 54 in 2019 to 77 last year. However, some of these may be repeat admissions for one person throughout the course of the year, the researchers note.
A total of 72 per cent of all admissions of under-18s were female, with one third being aged 17.
The prevalence of eating disorders among children is “extremely concerning”, said Ber Grogan, policy and research manager at Mental Health Reform, a coalition of organisations seeking to transform mental health.
[ Families: the untapped superpower in eating disorder recoveryOpens in new window ]
“Since the pandemic, there has been an alarming rise in eating disorders among young females with more severe clinical presentations. Eating disorders can lead to serious physical and psychological complications – some of which are life-threatening,” she said.
“These findings highlight the importance of increased funding for the National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders. The lack of appropriate services can have devastating consequences for those who require urgent care.”
In all, for both children and adults, the HRB report found there were 15,939 admissions to all approved inpatient centres in 2023.
Among adults, the mean age at admission was 46 years, while the 20-to-24 age group had the highest rate of all admissions, at 471.8 per 100,000 of the general population.
Fifty-nine per cent of adult admissions were single, 25 per cent were married, 3 per cent were widowed and 3 per cent were divorced
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