Eating disorders spiked during the pandemic, but in rural areas, treatment options are often sparse

"Eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder, are some of the most fatal mental illnesses. Yet treatment options are sparse, particularly in rural states," Carly Graf reports for Kaiser Health News. "Emergency-department visits for teenage girls dealing with eating disorders doubled nationwide during the pandemic, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The same report notes that the uptick could be linked to reduced access to mental-health services, a hurdle even more acute in rural states."

Patients with more severe cases may need inpatient or residential treatment, but such programs are far and few between in rural areas, often forcing patients to drive hours away or even leave their state — and supportive family — to get help, Graf reports.

There are gender and racial disparities in who gets treatment for eating disorders, too: "A third of people with eating disorders are men, a group that is underdiagnosed and undertreated. Although Black, indigenous, and other people of color are no less likely to develop an eating disorder, they are half as likely to be diagnosed or receive treatment," Graf reports.

Increasing access to telehealth may help more rural patients access care, but cost is still a common barrier in rural areas, Graf reports.