Eating Disorders

Eating disorder admissions were the fastest-growing diagnostic subcategory, rising by 518%. Eating disorders were the major cost outlier because they represented a small admission share but had much higher per-admission costs. A positive SCOFF result was treated as a screening result rather than a confirmed diagnosis. The REAL 2.0 sample may over-represent individuals with eating concerns because participants with prior ED symptoms could have been more motivated to complete the follow-up survey. Between 55% and 95% of individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder experience a comorbid mental health disorder during their lifetime. Documented lifetime comorbidities of eating disorders include GAD, SAD, OCD, MDD, PTSD, personality disorders, substance use disorders, ADHD, ASD, and suicidality. Eating disorder status was assessed with the French version of the SCOFF questionnaire. Eating disorder admissions and costs accelerated rapidly after 2019/2020 and contributed substantially to the final-year cost surge. Adults at high risk for an eating disorder were more than twice as likely to report physical multimorbidity compared with those not at risk. The study recommends screening for…