Deborah Mitchison1,2, Jonathan Mond3,4, Kay Bussey5, Scott Griffiths6, Nora Trompeter5, Alexandra Lonergan5, Kathleen M Pike7, Stuart B Murray8, Phillipa Hay1. 1. Translational Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia. 2. Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. 3. Centre for Rural Health, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia. 4. School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia. 5. Department of Psychology, Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. 6. School for Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Sydney, Australia. 7. Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, USA. 8. Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Little information is available on the prevalence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 eating disorders in adolescence, and eating disorders remain unique in the DSM for not systematically including a criterion for clinical significance. This study aimed to provide the first prevalence report of the full suite of DSM-5 eating disorders in adolescence, and to examine the impact of applying a criterion for clinical significance. METHODS: In total, 5191 (participation rate: 70%) Australian adolescents completed a survey measuring 1-month prevalence of eating disorder symptoms for all criterial, 'other specified' and unspecified eating disorders, as well as health-related quality of life and psychological distress. RESULTS: The point prevalence of any eating disorder was 22.2% (12.8% in boys, 32.9% in girls), and 'other specified' disorders (11.2%) were more common than full criterial disorders (6.2%). Probable bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, but not anorexia nervosa (AN), were more likely to be experienced by older adolescents. Most disorders were associated with an increased odds for being at a higher weight. The prevalence of eating disorders was reduced by 40% (to 13.6%) when a criterion for clinical significance was applied. CONCLUSIONS: Eating disorders, particularly 'other specified' syndromes, are common in adolescence, and are experienced across age, weight, socioeconomic and migrant status. The merit of adding a criterion for clinical significance to the eating disorders, similar to other DSM-5 disorders, warrants consideration. At the least, screening tools should measure distress and impairment associated with eating disorder symptoms in order to capture adolescents in greatest need for intervention.
BACKGROUND: Little information is available on the prevalence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 eating disorders in adolescence, and eating disorders remain unique in the DSM for not systematically including a criterion for clinical significance. This study aimed to provide the first prevalence report of the full suite of DSM-5 eating disorders in adolescence, and to examine the impact of applying a criterion for clinical significance. METHODS: In total, 5191 (participation rate: 70%) Australian adolescents completed a survey measuring 1-month prevalence of eating disorder symptoms for all criterial, 'other specified' and unspecifiedeating disorders, as well as health-related quality of life and psychological distress. RESULTS: The point prevalence of any eating disorder was 22.2% (12.8% in boys, 32.9% in girls), and 'other specified' disorders (11.2%) were more common than full criterial disorders (6.2%). Probable bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, but not anorexia nervosa (AN), were more likely to be experienced by older adolescents. Most disorders were associated with an increased odds for being at a higher weight. The prevalence of eating disorders was reduced by 40% (to 13.6%) when a criterion for clinical significance was applied. CONCLUSIONS:Eating disorders, particularly 'other specified' syndromes, are common in adolescence, and are experienced across age, weight, socioeconomic and migrant status. The merit of adding a criterion for clinical significance to the eating disorders, similar to other DSM-5 disorders, warrants consideration. At the least, screening tools should measure distress and impairment associated with eating disorder symptoms in order to capture adolescents in greatest need for intervention.
Authors: Angelique F Ralph; Leah Brennan; Sue Byrne; Belinda Caldwell; Jo Farmer; Laura M Hart; Gabriella A Heruc; Sarah Maguire; Milan K Piya; Julia Quin; Sarah K Trobe; Andrew Wallis; A J Williams-Tchen; Phillipa Hay Journal: J Eat Disord Date: 2022-08-18
Authors: Natasha L Burke; Guido K W Frank; Anja Hilbert; Thomas Hildebrandt; Kelly L Klump; Jennifer J Thomas; Tracey D Wade; B Timothy Walsh; Shirley B Wang; Ruth Striegel Weissman Journal: Int J Eat Disord Date: 2021-09-23 Impact factor: 5.791