A charity has experienced an "extremely worrying" ten-fold increase in the number of children and teenagers in Scotland struggling with eating disorders since the pandemic.
Beat said it received 195 contacts between April 2022 and March 2023 via its helpline and online forums relating to young people in Scotland aged 17 or younger who needed support with problems such as anorexia and bulimia.
That compares to just 17 contacts over the same 12-month period up to March 2020, prior to the pandemic.
Contact can be made directly by the young person, or by relatives, carers or school staff concerned about them.
Kirsty Pavey, Beat’s National Lead for Scotland says: "It’s extremely worrying that more children and young people in Scotland have been needing support for an eating disorder.
"The pandemic was an awfully stressful time, with many young people experiencing unexpected changes in routine, worrying about the health of loved ones and being isolated away from friends.
"While NHS staff are doing all they can to help every patient, demand for eating disorder support remains high, and at Beat we’re continuing to support people of all ages across the country.
"If anybody is worried about a loved one or a student, please reach out to us and to their GP or family as soon as possible, as the sooner somebody accesses help, the better their chances of making a full recovery."
The charity noted that there had been a particularly steep increase in the 13 to 14 age group where contacts had rocketed 22-fold, from just three support sessions in the year prior to Covid to 71 in the year to March 2023.
The number of contacts relating to children aged four to 12 has also shot up, from three to 24 over the same period.
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The Scottish Government is funding all of Beat’s support services in Scotland to help those affected by eating disorders.
These include online support groups, web chats and helpline calls, as well as support for families who are caring for a loved one with an eating disorder and a free online platform for school professionals called SPOT which provides guidance on the early warning signs of an eating disorder and how to help.
Dr Kandarp Joshi, vice-chair of the CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service) Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland said: "Working on the frontline, we noticed a big surge in young people presenting with serious eating disorders at the start of the pandemic, and the trend now seems to be returning to pre-pandemic levels.
"We must raise awareness and signpost young people and carers in the right direction at an early stage."
Lainey, a mother in Rural Angus who supported her daughter during her anorexia recovery, said she blamed herself for not picking up the signs earlier.
She added: "I joined several Beat online support groups which helped me and my family to navigate a serious and frightening journey with an eating disorder, to accept the twists and turns, and to see a way forward. I was able to share my story confidentially without any judgment or pressure."
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Kerry Coull, who taught primary school students in Scotland for most of her career, said SPOT was an "excellent resource" for teachers.
She added: "Since the pandemic, I feel that the health and wellbeing of young children has declined.
"I have noticed in my own experiences as a teacher, and from speaking to colleagues, that more pupils over 10 years old seem to have issues with body image and have been referred to CAMHS for eating disorders.
"It’s essential that school staff know how to spot an eating disorder as the faster a young person can receive support, the better outcome they will have. Staff are with children for a large part of the day, and we are there to support children in a holistic way, ensuring that they are physically and emotionally in a place to learn."
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