Eating disorders in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Abstract

Eating disorders represent one of the most common psychiatric disorders in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), with a prevalence twice as high as in individuals without diabetes. The increased risk for acute and long-term medical complications and a three-fold mortality rate with this dual condition makes it extremely important to screen adolescents for eating disorders as soon as possible. A number of 13 surveys in the last two years focussed on prevalence rates of disordered eating and associations with sociodemographic, eating disorder-specific and diabetes-related factors in this population. Variations in study design, sample size, age range, sex, instruments to assess eating disorders and outcome make comparisons difficult. Healthcare professionals report challenges in detecting and treating adolescents with this dual condition because of a lack of validated screening tools, guidelines, and integration across specialist care. Studies on psychological treatments for the comorbidity of eating disorders and T1DM are scarce, especially for adolescents. The development and evaluation of psychological treatments for adolescents with eating disorders and T1DM are urgently needed.