Publication date: Mar 01, 2025

We assessed hospital admission rates for anorexia nervosa (AN)/atypical AN (AAN) relative to other mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders across age groups before and 1-year postpandemic onset. Using the Canadian Discharge Abstracts Database, we analyzed admissions for AN/AAN and mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental disorders in ages 10-84-year-olds, grouped into 10-24, 25-44, and 45+ year olds. Data spanned fiscal years (FY) 2006-2021. AN/AAN admissions increased in the 10-24-year-old group, while remaining stable in older age groups. In FY2019, AN/AAN constituted 2. 6% (95% confidence interval 2. 4-2. 8) of psychiatric admissions, increasing to 4. 1% (95% confidence interval 3. 9-4. 3) in FY2020. Odds ratio for FY2019-FY2020 hospitalizations in 10-24 group was 1. 61 (p < .0001), 25-44 was 1. 15 (p = .31), and 45+ was 0. 61 (p = .03). AN/AAN admissions surged among 10-24 year-olds during the pandemic's onset, underscoring the need for early interventions and preparedness to support adolescents and young adults with AN/AAN.

Semantics

Original Article