Understanding Co-morbidities in Eating Disorders

In this next series of blogs we thought we would turn our attention to some of the co-morbidities that often coexist alongside eating disorders.  We will take a look at a number of co-morbidities including Anxiety, Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and PTSD,  exploring the symptoms of each, how and why they may co-occur with disordered eating, and how treatment may need to be adjusted to address not only the eating disorder but the comorbidity as well.

What's a Comorbidity?

A comorbidity in the context of eating disorders, refers to additional health conditions that coexist alongside the eating disorder.  Essentially it means that a person meets diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder but also for one or more other diagnosable difficulties.  In some cases the eating disorder may be the ‘primary’ disorder -ie its onset predated the comorbidity and it is the primary concern for both the  client and the clinician, and in some cases it may be secondary to the comorbidity - ie the eating disorder may be a response to the difficulties that arose from the comorbidity, or at least started after it.   

Rates and Common Pairings:

Research looking at rates of co-morbidities reveals a significant interplay between eating disorders and other mental health issues.  Anxiety and depression in particular often exist alongside disordered eating.  Studies have suggested that approximately 50-75% of individuals with eating disorders experience comorbid mental health conditions.

Treatment Considerations:

When considering treatment options, acknowledging and addressing co-morbidities is crucial to successful treatment and to long term recovery. It's not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Therapeutic approaches may need to be tailored to address any co-morbidities, for example  having a greater focus on strategies to manage anxiety, exposure and response prevention, trauma or behavioural activation (as a few examples). 

Understanding the way in which the co-morbidities influence and impact each other, and in particular whether they coexist independently or maintain each other,  is a crucial part of treatment at TLC.  Clinicians will often need to weave together interventions that consider all aspects of both mental and physical well-being in a holistic and patient centred way.

For  more information on a number of different co-morbidities follow our upcoming blog series over the next few weeks as we look at a number of different diagnoses in turn. 

#EatingDisorders #MentalHealthMatters

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