Eating disorders have the highest mortality risks compared to other psychiatric disorders. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of young people diagnosed with an eating disorder has rapidly increased and has led to increased referrals and longer admissions to inpatient services. To improve treatment success and rates of remission it is vital to undertake further qualitative exploration of patient journeys to understand their experience. This study co-designed and conducted semi-structured interviews with YP with EDs and their parents/carers to explore the key factors driving referrals to inpatient services to help inform future research and impact on admission rates. This study conducted a thematic analysis utilising Braun and Clarke's six stage model exploring why some young people are referred for admission to inpatient services across three sites across England, comprising two NHS trusts. In total, 13 interviews were conducted (n = 7 parents, n = 6 young people). A wide range of multifaceted factors contributing to inpatient admission referral were identified. The most prominent being 'Preceding and Precipitating Factors', 'Start of Treatment Journey', 'Eating Disorder Symptoms', 'Impact', 'Community CAMHS Support', 'Hospital Admissions' and 'Resilience'. These encompassed various significant subthemes. Although inpatient services can be life‑saving for young people with eating disorders, they are also frequently described as traumatic and associated with lasting consequences, making it essential to understand the factors that contribute to requiring inpatient care in the first place. Findings suggest reasons for referral to an inpatient unit are multifaceted and that we must collaborate with those with lived experience to create system wide change to improve treatment journeys.
Taylor et al. (Thu,) studied this question.