Bravo, bravo!

Classification of eating disturbance in children in the DSM:

"The consensus opinion of an international work group of experts on the diagnosis and treatment of child and adolescent eating disorders is that (a) lower and more developmentally sensitive thresholds of symptom severity (e.g. lower frequency of purging behaviours, significant deviations from growth curves as indicators of clinical severity) be used as diagnostic boundaries for children and adolescents, (b) behavioural indicators of psychological features of eating disorders be considered even in the absence of direct self-report of such symptoms and (c) multiple informants (e.g. parents) be used to ascertain symptom profiles."

Translation: in this proposed change to the DSM kids would not have to become irretrievably ill before they get the diagnosis and treatment advice they need, and parents would be a recognized part of the early warning system.

Comments

  1. I am very glad to hear this. I hope these changes go through.

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  2. It will probably have some benefits - if only making sure insurance companies pay for treatment or forcing governments to make beds and treatment available. However until the medical profession steps up to the plate and starts treating patients more vigorously (as they once did) there will always be too many people left untreated. It is one thing to have a diagnosis in the DSM it is another however to have the willingness to step in and treat someone who is in need of help but so often does not agree they have a problem.

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