Eating disorder hospital admissions have increased by 66% over the course of the pandemic according to medical experts, but the HSE has said that no increase of funding has been given to the national eating disorder treatment plan.
The plan was launched in 2018 and aims to provide access to specialist care around the country, with €1.5m allocated to the plan in its first year, though only €137,000 was spent. In 2019, €1.6m was allocated to the plan, but nothing was spent. The HSE said in a statement “in 2020 no additional development funding was provided for eating disorders”, explaining that the balance of previous funding left, €3.94m, remained in place. The HSE also confirmed that during 2020 nationally planned developments for eating disorder services had to be temporarily paused.
According to a paper in the Irish Medical Journal, hospital admissions for eating disorders have increased by 66% in 2020, compared to 2019. The authors of the paper, Elizabeth Barrett and Sarah Richardson of Temple Street Children’s University Hospital and the UCD School of Medicine stress that the pandemic is likely to play a significant role in the increase, with anxiety levels being higher, and the effects of the restrictions likely to be some of the causes. The authors state, “Social restrictions may mean some young people are less able to engage with protective factors.
“More online time, for example, may facilitate increased exposure to ED-specific or anxiety-provoking media. There may be an impact on young people’s view of their own health and may increase ED symptoms specifically related to health concerns.”
The authors stress that “Adequate resourcing of psychological medicine teams at paediatric sites, and the training of paediatricians with an interest in this arena, are vital and urgent needs,” suggesting that the new ways of working through the pandemic present an opportunity to “develop truly collaborative working relationships”, with “new ways to meet training and teaching needs to improve Paediatric Eating Disorder Care”.
Dr Caroline Maher, co-chair of the eating disorder interest group at the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland stated “I think it’s fairly clear that the HSE does not prioritise eating disorders. The importance of the eating disorder national clinical programme was that it was agreed by both the HSE and the College of Psychiatrists that this was an absolute priority – because otherwise, people are going to continue to die.” Maher continues to explain that there is at least a 10% mortality at 10 years for people suffering from anorexia, with that figure higher for those suffering from binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa. She stresses the importance of the treatment, explaining “if the treatment is provided in this specialist way, it really works”.
When I asked Bodywhys’ Communication Officer Barry about the rise in eating disorders and what had to be done on the HSE’s part, he explained: “There are areas of the country where services are well-resourced and other parts where this is not the case. What is required is for the National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders (NCP-ED) to be funded so that specialist teams can continue to be set up”.
According to Bodywhys, the National Eating Disorders Association of Ireland, there has been a 110% increase in the users of their online support groups between March of 2020 and November of 2020, with a 48% increase in calls to their helpline, which will be listed below, between April 2020 and October 2020.
On the Bodywhys website, they attribute the rise in Eating Disorders to the disruption caused during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the uncertainty the pandemic brings about social, economic, and general life affairs, saying: “For those with an eating disorder (ED), this disruption is very likely experienced as upsetting and scary. Living with an ED is already full of fear and panic, and we know that the current situation has the potential to exacerbate this.”
In terms of coping with an eating disorder currently, Bodywhys would recommend steps including maintaining a routine, doing things you enjoy, participating in flexible meal planning, using self-compassion towards current struggles, engaging in online support groups and with your friends online while also limiting social media use, and being critical when looking at images that may be edited, ensuring not to engage in comparison behaviours.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder currently, just know that you are not alone, you can overcome this. There are supports available.
Bodywhys provide a lot of information about various eating disorders on their website. They also offer free online support groups based on the idea of mutual support for people suffering from eating disorders, run by trained facilitators and supervised by a member of Bodywhys staff.
There is a dedicated email support service, alex@bodywhys.ie
Bodywhys helpline: 01 2107906, operates Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday evenings from 7.30 – 9.30 pm, and on Saturday mornings from 10.30 am-12.30 pm.
Bodywhys also provides a free support programme for family members, titled PiLaR.
The HSE also has an eating disorder Self Help app, providing information on eating disorders and tips that may help you cope during this time.