Options for Smart Eating Disorder Through Targeted Services

Steady rise of prevalence of anorexia nervosa in the community over the past two decades mandates for accessible and targeted professional mental health and welfare services for eating disorders. This highlights the value of a South Australian ‘Day Program’ format which gives intensive daily treatment but no overnight admission treatments.

A significant increase in overnight hospital admissions for anorexia nervosa in young Australian females (aged 15-29) over the past two decades has been shown by the data of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. However, a separate study in Australasian Psychiatry indicates this is not reflected in mortality rates and community incidence.

< i> “The good news is that mortality rates and average hospital inpatient length of stay for anorexia nervosa declined during the study period,” says Flinders University psychiatry researcher Dr. Stephen Allison, a co-author in the study.

“Both for hospital, partial hospital day programs and other treatments, we must continue to monitor clinical outcomes, as well as any additional disadvantage to patients including food for meals, staffing levels and patient care,” says Professor Wade, director of the Órama Institute for Mental Health and Well-Being and the Blackbird Initiative at Flinders University.

Hence, the study highlights that improving the quality of targeted services is crucial over providence of general services for these conditions and other eating disorders.

Source-Medindia