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Updated: Jan 22, 2026
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A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: May 10, 2022
4.4K
Eating Disorder Items in Transdiagnostic Screening Tools for Child Mental Health: A Rapid Review
Katarina Prnjak1, Laura Hart2, Ellie Tsiamis2
1Body Image and Eating Network, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
|January 21, 2026
Summary
Transdiagnostic screening tools show poor sensitivity for detecting eating disorders (EDs) in children aged 5-12. Further research is needed to develop better screening methods for early identification of ED risk.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Mental Health Screening
- Eating Disorder Research
Background:
- Transdiagnostic screening tools are valuable for identifying various childhood mental health risks.
- However, their effectiveness in detecting eating disorders (EDs) in children has not been thoroughly investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize evidence on the discriminative accuracy of transdiagnostic screening tools for identifying EDs in children aged 5-12.
- To assess the psychometric properties of these tools specifically for ED detection in this age group.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines, pre-registered on PROSPERO.
- Searches of PsycINFO and Medline databases for studies published up to April 2025.
- Inclusion of seven studies that utilized validated transdiagnostic screening tools and reported psychometric properties in children with EDs.
Main Results:
- The psychometric properties of the reviewed screening tools varied significantly, from weak to excellent.
- Sensitivity for detecting EDs was below the acceptable threshold (<80%) for 6 out of 7 tools.
- Incomplete reporting of discriminative power metrics and small sample sizes of children with EDs in most studies limited reliable conclusions.
Conclusions:
- Current transdiagnostic screening tools demonstrate limitations in effectively identifying eating disorders in children aged 5-12.
- There is a critical need for enhanced screening processes to accurately detect children at high risk for developing EDs.
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