Eating Disorders Service
New service to help young people with
eating disorders
21
June 2010
St John of God Health Care has further
increased its capacity to support young people in need with the
launch of an eating disorders service in the South West of Western
Australia.
As part of its national strategy to expand
mental health services to young people aged 12 to 25 years, this is
the first time St John of God Health Care has committed to
supporting care for young persons in a rural and remote region who
are affected by an eating disorder.
A Senior Occupational Therapist, Kate Avery,
will provide the specialised service as one of the freely available
Social Outreach and Advocacy services operated by St John of God
Hospital Bunbury. Ms Avery brings extensive experience of working
with children and families affected by an eating disorder through
her work at Princess Margaret Hospital in Perth. Her role will
initially serve the South West two days a week and aims to better
meet the needs of young people and their families in the local
community who are affected by an eating disorder.
Eating disorders and their precursors such as
poor body image and disordered eating are increasingly common in
Australian society and a major health concern for WA. Body image is
the top rated concern for youth, according to Mission Australia’s
annual national survey of 50,000 youth, [i] and disordered eating
behaviours increased two-fold among males and females 16 years+
over the past decade [ii]. Nearly one in seven (15.5%) Australian
women will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime [iii]
and the most common time of onset is during the adolescent years.
An eating disorder is a serious condition associated with the
highest death rate and greatest morbidity of all psychiatric
disorders.
Ms Avery said: “Rural and remote young people
affected by an eating disorder are generally disadvantaged in
accessing the treatment and care necessary for early identification
and intervention so I am delighted that St John of God Health Care
have given me the opportunity to work in this role here in the
South West.”
Mark Grime, CEO of St John of God Hospital
Bunbury, said: “Young people with eating disorders in our region
often experience a lack of access to specialised services due to a
small population base, the stigma often associated with mental
health issues and a lack of confidence among health professionals
in terms of diagnosis and management strategies.
“Kate’s role will help young people with
eating disorders in the South West access the help they need. As
with many of our Social Outreach and Advocacy services, early
intervention is a key factor in addressing the social determinants
of health so I welcome Kate’s expertise in this specialised
area.”
St John of God Health Care envisages that this
new role will improve young peoples’ disease trajectories, enhance
the skill-set of families and patients and improve knowledge and
competence relating to eating disorders among rural community-based
practitioners and educators. Additional benefits of the service are
expected to include increased localisation of care and reduced
medical co morbidity and risk. Better outcomes for patients and
families, greater satisfaction with services, and reduced cost per
patient for tertiary healthcare are also expected through this
position.
Eating Disorders Coordinator, Kate Avery, is
based in Bunbury on Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information on
this service contact St John of God Hospital Bunbury on (08)
97221660 or email Kate.Avery@sjog.org.au
[i] Mission Australia (2010). National
survey of young Australians 2010: Key and emerging issues.
Sydney: Mission Australia.
[ii] Hay, P. J., Mond, J., Buttner, P.,
& Darby, A. (2008). Eating disorder behaviors are increasing:
Findings from two sequential community surveys in South Australia.
PLoS ONE, 3, e1541.
[iii] Wade, T. D., Bergin, J. L.,
Tiggemann, M., Bulik, C. M., & Fairburn, C. G. (2006).
Prevalence and long-term course of lifetime eating disorder in an
adult Australian twin cohort. The Australian and New Zealand
Journal of Psychiatry, 40, 121-128.