The prevalence of eating disorders in recently admitted psychiatric in-patients

Of 107 recently admitted psychiatric patients screened for eating-disorder symptoms by questionnaire, 17% met DSM-III-R criteria for eating disorders. Eight patients (one male) had bulimia nervosa. Ten patients had eating disorder not otherwise specified: seven (three male) bulimic type, and three (one male) anorexia nervosa type. The most common concurrent diagnoses were mood and personality disorders. As eating-disorder symptoms are relevant to the diagnosis and management of other psychiatric disorders they should be assessed routinely in all psychiatric patients.