An estimated 1.7 million Canadians suffer from a diagnosable eating disorder at any time, most often emerging in adolescence (Stone et al., 2021). Eating disorders carry an extremely high standard mortality rate to due their physical complications and associated suicides. Furthermore, eating disorders require complex, multidisciplinary treatment, and without specialist intervention about half of sufferers will experience chronic and enduring symptoms. Early intervention when symptoms arise is associated with more favourable outcomes, and as such, most provincial health authorities in Canada direct eating disorder funding to youth services, rendering adults with eating disorders severely underrepresented and underserviced. Research conducted on eating disorders is extremely limited due to both shortage funding and few experts in the field.
Stone et al. (2021) highlights the fragmented treatment resources for eating disorders in Canada and calls for the formation of a cohesive group to advocate for treatment and research nationally. This stakeholder group should be comprised of individuals with lived experience, caregivers, researchers, and policy makers to ensure diverse voices and informed opinions are brought to proposals. Stone et al. also highlight the need for more varied practices beyond standard family-based therapy (FBT), particularly for those whom FBT has not worked before or are unable to access this level of support at home. This recommendation is followed by again emphasizing the need for more research in eating disorder treatment and etiology, and the proposal that novel approaches such as transcranial magnetic stimulation be investigated.
Overall, the review calls attention to the underfunding of eating disorder research and treatment in Canada. Eating disorders are common yet complex mental illnesses that result in high healthcare expenditure when severe complications arise. More research is required to find effective treatments to improve the lives of those with emerging and chronic eating disorders, and to decrease overall national spending for associated hospitalizations, clinic visits, and disability payments.
Citation:
Stone, K. D., Dimitropoulos, G., & MacMaster, F. P. (2021). Food for thought: A dissonance between healthcare utilization costs and research funding for eating disorders in Canada. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry / Journal de l’Académie Canadienne de Psychiatrie de l’enfant et de l’adolescent, 30(3), 197–203.
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