Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate among teenagers

Eating disorders (ED) are the mental disorders with the highest mortality rate.according to the conclusions made within 26th Congress of the Spanish Society of Dual Pathology which took place in Mallorca.

The Spanish Society of Dual Pathology (SEPD) explained in a press release that ED affects between 1 and 3 percent of the population, with peaks during certain stages such as adolescence, when, according to the Society of General and Family Physicians, it affects from 4.1 to 6.4 percent of women aged 12 to 21 years, 0.3 percent of men.

“These are disorders with multiple causes, in which different factors are involved,” explained Fernando Fernandez, professor at the University of Barcelona, ​​director of the eating disorders unit at the Bellwitge Hospital (HUB) and member of the SEPD. as part of his speech to Congress.

In this regard, he noted that “it is no coincidence that they tend to appear, especially during adolescence, around the ages of 13–18, a stage when a number of conflicts and difficulties arise that create problems for people. experience this transition and the conflicts associated with it normally, but vulnerable people are at greater risk of developing an eating disorder.

Moreover, during his speech lamented that eating disorders “have not historically been given the importance that they do.” “Especially considering that eating disorders are the mental disorders with the highest mortality rate” (about 6 percent), and that “this is mainly due to the high suicide rate.” and complications inherent in emergency care,” he noted.

According to Fernández Aranda, between the ages of 10 and 20, “there is no other mental disorder with such a high incidence rate.” In this sense, he also emphasized that four out of every ten people “will not recover or will only partially recover.” “A problem,” he continued, “that has been impacting all levels (individual, family, academic, emotional, work or medical) for decades,” he noted.

On the other hand, he explained that the percentage of eating disorder patients who have another mental disorder varies depending on when the person is being treated. Thus, early on, comorbidity with another disorder is “usually lower,” while over the years, the presence of mood or personality disorders ranges from 20 to 80 percent.

Thus, it is estimated that up to one in four patients with ED suffers from substance abuse, mainly tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and cannabis. “It usually happens that this goes unnoticed and is not given due attention,” he pointed out, emphasizing the importance of providing comprehensive care to the patient, emphasizing both disorders.

“This perspective is necessary because we see that patients who experience ED along with substance abuse are those with greater severity and psychopathology, more dysfunctional personality traits, more cognitive impairment, and those who experience worse results of treatment and its duration.” therefore, coordinated and interdisciplinary approaches are needed,” he concluded.