Research that was presented at the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests that health care professionals need to be more aware of the likelihood that people with anxiety disorders may also have eating disorders.

Dr. Lynne Drummond, a consultant psychiatrist at South West London and St. Georges NHS Mental Health Trust, collected data from a sample of patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who were referred to a specialist unit for treatment.

A control group of patients with other anxiety disorders referred for treatment to the same unit was also studied. The study found that a fifth of patients with OCD also had signs of disordered eating. The prevalence for those with other anxiety disorders was a one in three. (Source: Medical News Today)

Dr. Drummond concluded that the connection between OCD and disordered eating is often overlooked, and could endanger patients.

Labels: anxiety, eating disorders, ocd

Posted By: Aspen/CRC