A study reveals that hospital admissions for children with eating disorders surged over 500% from 2012 to 2022 in the UK, with the most significant rise found among girls aged 11 to 15. Simultaneously, mental health hospitalizations overall increased by 65%. Researchers attribute this alarming trend to factors such as insufficient community care and social media impact. They emphasize the need for better staffing and resources in acute care units, alongside prioritizing eating disorders in health plans. Experts call for urgent research to understand and address these rising mental health issues among youth, indicating a growing crisis.
The number of children admitted to hospital with eating disorders has soared by more than 500 per cent in 10 years, a major study has found.
Statistics show that between 2012 and 2022, there was a two-thirds (65%) increase in the number of under-18s being treated in acute care units for mental health concerns.
The most significant growth has been among girls aged 11 to 15, with experts warning of “alarming rates of self-harm”.
But the most damning statistics show that over the same period, the number of hospitalizations for eating disorders jumped from 478 to 2,938, an increase of almost 515%.
Researchers suggest a lack of community care is exacerbating the problem, and other studies link it to social media use.
The research team analyzed data on all admissions to general acute care wards in the UK for people aged between five and 18 over a 10-year period.
These units are separate from specialist mental health units and provide rapid assessment, treatment and care for patients who are typically referred through A&E, GPs or outpatient clinics.
The analysis found that mental health hospitalizations increased by 65%, from 24,198 to 39,925, compared to a 10% increase in all-cause hospitalizations, from 311,067 to 342,511.
Sobering statistics show that hospitalizations for eating disorders soared from 478 to 2,938 between 2012 and 2022, an increase of almost 515 percent (stock image)
The increase was largest among girls aged 11-15, who more than doubled from 9,091 to 19,349 (stock image)
Researchers suggest a lack of community care is exacerbating the problem, and other studies link it to social media use (stock image)
The largest increase was seen among girls aged 11 to 15, more than doubling from 9,091 to 19,349.
More than half (53.4 per cent) of mental health cases were due to self-harm, according to findings in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health Journal.
Dr Lee Hudson, the study’s senior author, said previous research had focused on community and inpatient mental health settings, adding that these were “the missing piece of the jigsaw”.
He said: “Acute wards are important places to care for young people with mental health concerns, particularly those with co-occurring physical health problems such as hunger due to eating disorders.”
“However, the increase in intensity we describe is creating real challenges for acute wards, both for patients and their families and for the staff who support them.
He said many regions do not have the structures or adequate staffing to care for young people in need of such support, and that more psychiatrists and mental health professionals, both on wards and in the community, are needed. He said trained nurses are needed.
They said the COVID-19 pandemic had a “severe impact” on young people, but that was just one factor in the increase in enrollment.
Further investigation into the reasons behind the increase is being conducted through interviews with young people, their families, and staff working in the wards.
Statistics show that between 2012 and 2022, there was a two-thirds (65 per cent) increase in patients under the age of 18 being treated in acute care units for mental health concerns (stock image )
More than half (53.4%) of mental health cases were due to self-harm, according to findings in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health Journal (Stock Image)
Dr Karen Street, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said this was “further evidence of the alarming deterioration in the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people”.
Almost one in five children aged 7 to 17 years is suspected of having a mental disorder, and the complexity and intensity of reported mental disorders is increasing significantly, she said.
She added: “More needs to be done to discover and understand the core drivers of this unprecedented increase if we are to design services that truly work for young people.” .
Tom Quinn, from eating disorders charity Beat, said: “These figures are alarming, given the increasing number of children and young people attending community and inpatient eating disorder services over the same period. And, sadly, it’s not surprising.” To give children the best chance of recovery, it is vital that children receive treatment as soon as possible, but with the NHS desperately underfunded, urgent changes are needed. Without it, we cannot begin to provide this level of care.
“It is essential that frontline staff in acute wards, including non-specialist roles and future physicians, are equipped to recognize and treat the complications of eating disorders. We want eating disorder services to receive much-needed funding so that once patients on general wards have recovered enough, they can be welcomed into specialist treatment as soon as possible, with as little disruption to their families’ lives as possible. .
“We will also make eating disorders a priority in the Government’s next 10-year health plan, ensuring people receive support before they need medical admission and when they are unwell enough to require emergency treatment. I want to make sure it doesn’t get worse.
“Finally, more research is needed to fully understand the causes of the increase in children and young people suffering from eating disorders, and importantly, how to reverse this alarming trend.” We need to understand what we can do.”
