Hospital admissions and clinical services
Health Service Executive 2021a
- A HSE briefing statement from 05/01/2021 highlighted the impact of the pandemic on children, including increased presentations of anxiety and anorexia nervosa.
Ireland: Child and adolescent services
| Location/Service | Impact |
| Hospitalisations |
|
| Child & Adolescent Regional Eating Disorder Service (CAREDS), Cork/Kerry |
|
| Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght, CAMHS |
|
| Sligo/Leitrim Mental Health Services |
|
| Galway region |
|
Adult services
| Impact |
|
National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders (NCP-ED)
| NCP-ED 2020 Outcomes |
|
College of Psychiatrists of Ireland
| Survey of 180 psychiatrists |
|
Health Research Board – Hospital Admissions 2020
- 32% rise in adult admissions
- 20-24 year olds most affected, but overall 18-44 year olds significantly represented
- 13% of adult admissions were males
- 61% increase in admissions for children & adolescents (including repeat admissions).
- Overall, eating disorders represented 18% of admissions for under 18s.
2020 Admissions – Psychiatric units and hospitals
Information published by the Health Research Board (HRB) in July 2021:
Adults
Gender and all and first admissions. Primary admission diagnosis and gender. Ireland 2020.
| Numbers | |||||
| All | First | ||||
| Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total |
| 23 | 159 | 182 | 10 | 65 | 75 |
Age group
| Numbers | ||||||||||
| Under 18 | 18-19 | 20-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65-74 | 75 & over | Unspecified | Total |
| 0 | 35 | 64 | 37 | 27 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 182 |
Discharges (including deaths) and in-patient days by diagnosis for all lengths of stay. Ireland 2020. Numbers with percentages
| Discharges | In-patient days | ||||
| Numbers | Percentages | Numbers | Percentages | Average number of days | Median number of days |
| 182 | 1.16 | 7,696 | 0.90 | 42.3 | 28.5 |
Hospital type – all admissions. Primary admissions diagnosis
| Numbers | |||
| General hospital psychiatric units | Psychiatric hospitals/continuing care units | Independent/private and private charitable centres | Total |
| ~ | .. | 145 | 182 |
Children and adolescents
Gender and all and first admissions. Primary admissions diagnosis and gender. Ireland 2020.
| Numbers | |||||
| All | First | ||||
| Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total |
| .. | ~ | 87 | .. | ~ | 59 |
| Admissions – legal status and primary admission diagnosis | |||||
| Numbers | |||||
| All | First | ||||
| Voluntary | Involuntary | Total | Voluntary | Involuntary | Total |
| 62 | 25 | 87 | ~ | .. | 59 |
Barrett, E. & Richardson, S. (2021) Invited Editorial: Eating Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ireland, Irish Medical Journal, 114(1), 233.
Bermingham, D. (2021) Big surge in eating disorder referrals during Covid-19 lockdown. Irish Examiner. Retrieved from https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40223948.html
Busher & Richardson, S. (2020) The Impact of Covid-19 on presentations of anorexia nervosa. The Temple Street Experience. Oral Presentation, Irish Paediatric Association Annual Conference.
Connolly, E. (2021) Major surge in teen eating disorders during pandemic. Southern Star, p.6.
Delaney, M. (2021) People with eating disorders presenting more unwell since pandemic. TheJournal.ie. Retrieved from https://www.thejournal.ie/eating-disorders-ireland-unwell-pandemic-5353079-Feb2021/
Doyle, L. (2021) Eating disorders up by forty per cent. Donegal News, p.10.
Fogarty, J. (2021) Lockdown exacerbating eating disorders, health forum told. Roscommon Herald, p.22.
Health Service Executive (2021a) Briefing Statement. The Current Situation of Children 5th January 2021: Health, Education, and Covid-19. Dublin: Health Service Executive.
Health Service Executive (2021b) National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders. Our Growth in 2020. Dublin: Health Service Executive.
Holliman, S. (2021) Admissions for eating disorders quadruple in Galway during pandemic. Tuam Herald, p.4.
Kelleher, L. (2021) Children with eating disorders more than triple during lockdown. Irish Mail on Sunday, p.4.
