[Increased self-reported eating disorder symptoms in outpatients at a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic in Sweden between 2018 and 2022].

Abstract

Eating disorders are common disorders that cause significant suffering and functional impairment for those affected. They often emerge in adolescence and can go undetected for many years before an individual presents to services. Early diagnosis and treatment have been shown to significantly improve the prognosis, highlighting the need for proactive screening. This study compared the frequency of self-reported eating disorder symptoms in (n = 2137) outpatients at the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic (BUP) in Region Västmanland, Sweden between 2018 and 2022. The results showed that the proportion of young people reporting frequent eating disorder symptoms increased from 16% to 28% over this time period. This result is in line with previous research describing an increase in the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms among different groups in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. It underscores the importance of screening for eating disorder symptoms to better address care needs.