title: Mental health services use and management of eating disorders in an Italian Department of Mental Health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with eating disorders referred to Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) in the Department of Mental Health of Bologna, Italy, and to evaluate the number and type of interventions delivered.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult patients with eating disorders who had a first contact with CMHCs between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2012 were extracted from Bologna Local Health Authority database. Moreover, the hospital discharge records of patients were linked to the mental health information system of Bologna.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 276 patients with eating disorders identified, 59 (21.4%) were diagnosed as anorexia nervosa, 77 (27.9%) as bulimia nervosa and 140 (50.7%) as eating disorders not otherwise specified. The mean age of the sample was 37.3 (SD = 13.4), with no significant differences among the three diagnostic groups. The number of CMHCs outpatients increased each year from 2007 to 2011 and decreased in 2012. The proportion of new patients by year comprised about 50% of the total of patients. Psychotherapy accounted for about 10% of the interventions. Day-hospital and hospital admissions concerned 6.1 and 11.6% of the sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CMHCs are part of the system of care outlined by the Regional policies for eating disorders and are responsible for providing the first level of outpatient care to adults. To date, there is the need to extend our monitoring across the whole system of care, to assess the implementation of specific and effective strategies to decrease the age of access of patients and to improve the quality of care delivered with the inclusion of evidence-based treatments in the process of care.
authors: Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via San Giacomo 12, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
authors: Simona
authors: S
authors: Calugi
authors: Vera Maria
authors: VM
authors: Avaldi
authors: Riccardo
authors: R
authors: Dalle Grave
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Rucci
authors: Maria Pia
authors: MP
authors: Fantini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D055815:Young Adult