‘Terrifying rise’ in eating disorders with 41 children and young people treated in Donegal

Thomas Pringle noted that between 2020 and 2023 the number of young people being treated rose from 17 to 41.

“Anyone who watched the RTÉ documentary ‘Anorexia, My Family and Me’ will have seen the devastating impact of eating disorders. There has been a terrifying rise in eating disorders in this country, and it requires a lot more attention than it is being given.

"In Donegal, 17 young people in child and adolescent mental health services were being treated for eating disorders in 2020. That number rose significantly to 47 in 2021, and 41 people were being treated in June of last year.

"This number reflects only those who come forward with their illness and actually manage to get a referral. Many more are unable to get as far as receiving treatment,” said the Donegal representative.

Responding to Deputy Pringle the Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien said that earlier this year the Government announced additional funding for the eating disorders programme of €1.3 million.

“It has also been announced as part of budget 2025 for mental health services that approximately €1.2 million in funding will be allocated to the national clinical programme for eating disorders, for an additional two teams, which will bring the total number of eating disorder teams nationally to 14. This will include a CAMHS eating disorder team for CHO 3, which is the mid-west,” he declared.

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