Meeting of the Parliament 23 February 2016
I join Dennis Robertson in welcoming eating disorder awareness week 2016. His motion highlights that much progress has been made over the last five years, both in raising awareness about eating disorders and in ensuring that all patients have access to the services they need.
I understand that eating disorder week is an international initiative to tackle the misconceptions surrounding eating disorders. This year’s focus is on the workplace: how colleagues and employers can support someone’s recovery. That shows how complex eating disorders are.
Eating disorders affect all aspects of a person’s life—relationships with family and friends, ability to perform well in school or at work—and, most importantly, can have a serious long term impact on physical health.
Eating disorders are long-term conditions. Around half of all patients take six years or more to recover. The majority first experience symptoms under the age of 16, and many sufferers wait more than a year before seeking treatment. According to Beat, the eating disorders charity, around 63 per cent of patients relapse, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists reports that anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders.
What are the implications of these facts? As Dr Robert Dennison, an expert in eating disorders, has pointed out, more action needs to be taken to support early intervention and prevent deaths. Without a doubt, early intervention is crucial. Research has shown that the earlier that people with eating disorders seek treatment, the less likely they are to experience relapse and the greater their chance of a full recovery. However, we need to recognise that individuals find it extremely difficult to seek help.
Eating disorders seriously affect mental and physical health; many sufferers also experience depression, personality disorder and substance abuse. That is why support is so crucial. Often such support comes from small, not-for-profit organisations. In my constituency in Fife, the Linda Tremble Foundation organises regular support group meetings for people with eating disorders, as well as their families.
Overall, there have been many positive developments, but more attention needs to be given to supporting individuals with eating disorders. Once diagnosed, more needs to be done to ensure that patients receive effective care in hospital, at home, at university or in any other environment. There is also still a lack of services, especially in more rural areas of Scotland. In Fife, the only anorexia nervosa intensive treatment team, which is part of Stratheden hospital, has limited capacity and can therefore not accept all referrals.
I commend the dedication of all national health service staff, GPs and organisations that support people with eating disorders. The treatment of eating disorders requires the close co-operation of all involved, and new projects are proving to be very promising. In Dumfries and Galloway, a new approach being undertaken by local GPs to ensure that patients receive the right care involves monitoring the physical health of people with eating disorders through biannual training and specific guidance from a resource pack aimed at identifying and treating eating disorders.
Of course, we cannot be oblivious to the fact that such projects require funding, and I am pleased that the Scottish Government is committed to strengthening mental health services. That is important for many reasons. Apart from the human impact, mental health issues are a substantial economic burden. Across the UK, 725,000 people suffer from eating disorders. Many of those affected note a financial loss due to the detrimental effect that the eating disorder has had on their educational development, or, if they are already in the workplace, the time that they need to take off work. As a result, sufferers sometimes become dependent on carers, family members and friends to survive.
Beyond the personal cost, treatment costs the health sector across the UK between £3.9 billion and £4.6 billion. Although that economic burden is only a small part of the many different effects that people with eating disorders suffer over a prolonged period, it is important to acknowledge the cumulative effect of all the factors involved.
As I said, diagnosing, treating and promoting long-term recovery of eating disorders is complex. However, there are many indicators to show that, as service providers for those with eating disorders continue to develop and expand on the range of treatment options available, the increased access to effective treatment will prove beneficial to all those who are most in need. We must continue to support and help both those who suffer from an eating disorder and those who seek to help them.
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