Incidence of anorexia nervosa in a public children and adolescents mental health unit

Abstract

Introduction. In the last few years, a huge social importance is being given to eating disorders and specially to anorexia nervosa. Sometimes, the actual epidemiology doesn’t correspond with that voice of alarm.

Material and methodology. In this article are reviewed a sample of 3,849 clinical histories (aged 0 to 16 years) collected in 9 years in a public children and adolescents mental health unit.

Objective. To see the incidence of the eating disorders (with their characteristics of sex and age) and the progression of cases of anorexia.

Results. Show that the percentage of eating disorders (including anorexia) compared with the rest of psychopathologies is very low, that the cases of eating disorders have risen in the last 4 years and that the cases of anorexia nervosa haven’t risen in the last decade.

Discussion. Given the discrepancy with other authors who found several cases, we look for an interpretation of our data.