147739 - Eating Disorders: Early Intervention and Community Treatments

General Practitioners are the first point of call for people who feel they or a loved one may have an eating disorder. Eating disorders are extremely complex mental illnesses that require some level of specialist knowledge to ensure symptoms are not confused with other conditions. This RACGP accredited program aims to: improve early detection by raising awareness of the signs and symptoms or eating disorders; help GPs understand how to communicate with their patients about eating behaviours; outline the GP’s role within the multidisciplinary care team and increase GP awareness of prevalence, morbidity and mortality related to eating disorders in order to encourage early diagnosis, appropriate community treatment and appropriate referral options. The program includes presentations from specialist professional workers and consumers who have recovered from an eating disorder.

Eating disorders are serious & complex mental health issues. The mortality rate for people with eating disorders is 12 times higher than those without eating disorders and the highest of all psychiatric illnesses. 2012 data indicates there were more than 913,000 people with an eating disorder in Australia. Reluctance of sufferers to adopt help-seeking behaviours can make diagnosis difficult, result in chronic malnourishment & many years of poor mental & physical health. GPs in primary care settings are the most likely health professionals to see patients with undetected or untreated eating disorders. Early intervention by primary care providers has been identified as a key priority in reducing mortality & morbidity. This education activity uses research evidence & clinical guidelines to increase general practitioner capacity for early intervention in eating disorders, coordinating community based treatment & engagement with a client group that may be reluctant to share information.