Eating disorders and correlative psychiatric disorders prevalent in adolescents

**Swanson SA. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011;doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.22.**

Eating disorders are prevalent in the general adolescent population and often have patterns of comorbidity with other mental disorders, researchers at the NIH found.

Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement, a nationally representative sample of US adolescents, Sonja A. Swanson, MSc, and colleagues examined eating disorders to determine the lifetime and 12-month prevalence of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. The sample included in-person interviews with 10,123 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years.

Lifetime prevalence rates of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder were 0.3%, 0.9% and 1.6%, respectively. The 12-month prevalence rates were 0.2%, 0.6% and 0.9%. There were no lifetime prevalence differences between the sexes in anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder were more prevalent in girls.

The researchers also detected the prevalence of subthreshold eating disorders: subthreshold anorexia nervosa and subthreshold binge-eating disorder among those adolescents who did not meet criteria for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. The 12-month prevalence rate for subthreshold binge-eating disorder was 1.1%. Lifetime prevalence rates for subthreshold anorexia nervosa and subthreshold binge-eating disorder were 0.8% and 2.5%, respectively.

Among adolescents with 12-month anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, 97.1%, 78% and 62.6%, respectively, reported impairment in the past 12 months; 24.2%, 10.7% and 8.7%, respectively, reported severe impairment, such as being completely unable to carry out daily tasks.

Eating disorders were most strongly associated with social impairment. Nearly all of those with anorexia nervosa (88.9%) reported social impairment, and 19.6% reported severe social impairment associated with their eating disorder. Lifetime suicidality was associated with all subtypes of eating disorders. Although most adolescents (72.6%-88.2%) with an eating disorder sought treatment for emotional or behavioral problems, few (3.4%-27.5%) were treated specifically for their eating disorders.

“Eating disorders and subthreshold eating conditions are prevalent in the general adolescent population,” researchers wrote. “The unmet treatment needs in the adolescent population place these disorders as important public health concerns.”

Disclosure: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.

Follow the PediatricSuperSite.com on Twitter.