First of its kind centre will target the Gold Coast’s burgeoning teenage eating disorder crisis

A TREATMENT program for teenagers struggling with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia will be launched on the Gold Coast to become the first of its kind in Queensland.

Dr Kim Hurst counselling teenagers who have eating disorders at Robina Private Hospital. Photo by Richard Gosling

A treatment program for teenagers struggling with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia will be launched on the Gold Coast to become the first of its kind in Queensland.

The day program will be run at the Robina Private Hospital and will use Multi-Family Therapy (MFT), which has had success in other parts of Australia and overseas.

Experts say Gold Coast teenagers desperately need access to this cutting-edge treatment.

Psychologist Kim Hurst, who has completed a PhD in perfectionism and family-based treatment, will be the clinical lead. She is the president-elect of the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders and the program will be the first in Queensland to provide treatment for teens aged 14-19, along with MFT.

Dr Kim Hurst at Robina Private Hospital. Photo by Richard Gosling

“There is a critical need on the Gold Coast for a program of this kind,” she said.

“Research published by Deloittes and the Butterfly Foundation shows there has been a significant increase in Australia, including the Gold Coast, in the number of patients with eating disorders, particularly among 15-17-year-olds.”

“In our city, we have a strong focus on appearance and our beach culture. There is more emphasis on body shape and people wear less clothes, so we see more skin here,” Dr Hurst said.

Sadly, the biggest risk factors for anorexia and other eating disorders were dieting and young people wanting to change their weight and body shape.

“Social media can also be implicated, new fads of eating, low self-esteem and perfectionism,” she warned.

Social media is implicated in the growth of teenage eating disorders according to Dr Kim Hurst. Photo by Richard Gosling

“When we focus overly on our appearance, it’s going to cause problems. When young people constantly want to change the way they look, they can become depressed or anxious.

“We have to encourage teenagers, particularly young women, to get their sense of self-worth from various things such as their personality, their academic or sporting successes, their friendships and belief systems,” she said.

“All of these make them feel good about themselves, not just their weight and body shape.”

Dr Hurst said the new program would offer a multidisciplinary approach involving a psychologist, psychiatrist, dietitian and a nurse.

“We will treat up to eight families for five hours a day for four days. The aim is to all try to work together to help each young person get well. Parents can also share challenges, strategies and successes, so it’s a good environment for them to tackle issues,” she said.

“We are providing an environment where families can hear other families talk about how they deal with similar problems, which can help them broaden their own perspectives and try out new behaviours.

The centre is the first of its kind.

“This experience of communality may also further reduce feelings of guilt and reduce the burden on these families, which leads to the better recovery of patients.”

Interestingly, Dr Hurst said teenagers would also be taken out to local cafes so that they could learn healthy social eating habits.

“Food and eating has to be normalised for them,” she said.

Research also showed that early intervention was a key in treating patients with eating disorders.

“If treatment is not initiated early, the illness becomes more entrenched. The average duration is five to seven years, but with young people, this can be reduced to up to two years, depending on the type of treatment they receive,” she said.

Dr Hurst said the day program was one of only a few in Australia and could be used as a step-up when progress in less-intensive, outpatient therapy was insufficient or as a step-down after a patient had been admitted to hospital.

“Day programs which offer early intervention and a subacute alternative to hospital care show evidence of good clinical and personal recovery outcomes,” she said. “They are also less expensive and can potentially avoid problems of relapse and readmission by easing the transition from hospital to home.”

Dr Hurst said the program offered supported meals, social eating, medical monitoring, individual dietitian sessions, therapeutic groups and individual psychiatric reviews.

According to the Butterfly Foundation, eating disorders can coexist with other mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and alcohol or substance abuse.

It is estimated 20 per cent of anorexia deaths are a result of suicide with mortality in eating disorders higher than most other psychiatric disorders.

If you or a family member needs help with an eating disorder, phone Robina Private Hospital on 5665 5100, the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 334 673 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.