title: Do doctors recognise eating disorders in children?
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether doctors recognise eating disorders in children, in particular anorexia nervosa. A group of paediatricians, general practitioners, and school medical officers was approached to participate in the study. Each was sent a questionnaire including two case vignettes of children with anorexia nervosa and questions about diagnosis and management. The response rate was 64.5%. Of 97 different diagnosis suggested, only one quarter were psychiatric or psychological. One third of the paediatricians mentioned anorexia nervosa within their differential diagnosis in both cases compared with 2% of primary care physicians. These results suggest that doctors' awareness of childhood onset eating disorders remains limited. A delay in appropriate treatment has potentially adverse consequences for prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, London.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bryant-Waugh
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Lask
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Shafran
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fosson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005194:Family Practice; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D012572:School Health Services