Prevalence, Aetiology and Treatment of Comorbid Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Eating Disorders in Children and Young People: A Systematic Review
Abstract
Childhood trauma exposure is associated with the development of psychiatric disorders including Eating Disorders (EDs) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A systematic review of comorbid PTSD and EDs in adults found relatively high prevalence rates of this comorbidity and more severe ED symptoms associated with this comorbidity. However, there has been less focus on comorbid PTSD and ED in children and young people, despite this group's increased susceptibility to psychiatric conditions due to their neurodevelopmental sensitivity. This systematic review aimed to synthesise research on co-occurring PTSD and EDs in children and young people (the latter group defined by the World Health Organisation-WHO-as aged 10-25 years), examining prevalence, aetiology, and treatment. Six electronic databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, Scopus, APA PsychNET, Web of Science and Embase) were searched for articles published from 1990 to 2024 which included participants aged under and up to 25 years who were either assessed as meeting criteria for both an ED and PTSD in the study, or were reported to have had a pre-existing diagnosis of ED and PTSD. Data from 24 studies were extracted and synthesised. PTSD prevalence among young people with EDs ranged from 0% to 46.4%, with higher rates observed in binging and purging-related EDs such as Bulimia Nervosa and binge-purge type anorexia. Risk factors associated with the comorbidity included trauma severity, binge-purging behaviours, and poor emotion…
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