Butterfly Foundation chief executive Kevin Barrow said COVID-19 was the “perfect storm” for eating disorders.
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“In the past five years we’ve seen a 275 per cent increase to contact to our helpline. The virus has accelerated that curve and mental health concerns are often taking a back seat to the virus,” said Mr Burrows,noting cases are now more complex with average phone calls lasting 25 minutes.
“In the past year,we have provided almost 300 people on waiting lists for treatment with intervention and support.
“There are many things we can’t control about COVID-19,so people can compensate with binge-eating or excessive exercise,which are exacerbated because those things can be controlled.”
Mr Burrows said while eating disorders have the highest death rate of any mental illness,early treatment can help reduce severity,but “the converse is also true” and illness becomes harder to treat the longer it takes to access help.
“Helpline calls have surged because hospitals are overwhelmed,psychiatrists are over-booked and there is restricted access to private hospital treatment,” he said.
“Often people with eating disorders are immunocompromised,so there are additional concerns associated with COVID-19. I worry as we move through Omicron and these ongoing waves,patients and parents are getting exhausted that continued lack of access to care will result in poorer outcomes.”
Christine Morgan,the National Mental Health Commission chief executive who advises the Prime Minister on suicide prevention,said younger people were presenting to hospitals more frequently with eating disorders.
“Back in 2020,we thought the social isolation and upheaval triggered by the pandemic could exacerbate symptoms and this study is really substantiating that,” Ms Morgan said.
In late 2020,data provided by hospitals and support services showed anational surge of between 25 and 50 per cent in presentations for eating disorders across the public health system.
InsideOut psychologist Rachel Simeone said despite many restrictions easing,people with eating disorders are continuing to struggle with symptoms.
“We are also seeing a trend of people presenting for treatment who have delayed help and are arriving for treatment at a more critical stage of illness,as opposed to earlier when symptoms are emerging,” Dr Simeone said.
“This suggests that the illness has become more entrenched. For many people experiencing an eating disorder it will take a lot of time to recover from the impact of the pandemic over the past two years.”
Butterfly Foundation 1800 33 4673;Lifeline 131 114