To better support young people with eating disorders, Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke has allocated €11.4 million to invest in increased compensation for people up to 23 years old who suffer from anorexia, bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder.
From February, young people with an eating disorder will be able to count on a care team with a psychologist and dietitian for a year. This care team will be set up by the treating (and therefore coordinating) doctor. It includes a maximum of 20 sessions with a psychologist and 15 sessions with a dietitian, all reimbursed, over a period of 12 months.
“Today we are fully investing in our mental health care. Not least to provide maximum protection for the mental well-being of children and young people," said Vandenbroucke.
Complex treatments
"With our reform, we also want to get young people with faltering eating behaviour on the radar as quickly as possible to prevent them from developing an eating disorder," he added. "Once these problems are on the radar, we must then work with a doctor, psychologist or dietitian as soon as possible. We do that with this new care process."
A survey by the Sciensano National Health Institute in 2021 shows young people's vulnerability to eating disorders: over a period of three years, there was an 11% increase in adults at risk of developing such a disorder. For the 15-23 age group, this percentage is even higher: approximately one in five have disordered eating patterns, according to the Flemish knowledge centre Eetexpert.
It is no coincidence that Vandenbroucke wants to get to work quickly: clinics treating people with eating disorders currently have a waiting period of months. "Today we see that when treatment becomes more complex, a quick switch is made to admission to a hospital, while this is not always necessary."
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Flemish knowledge centre Eetexpert is happy with the plan, saying that it should greatly reduce the pressure on eating clinics. "During Covid-19, we saw how quickly an eating problem can escalate. A care programme close to the young person themselves is something that young people and parents themselves wanted."
In addition to the availability of psychologists and dietitians, the centre also welcomes the affordability. "20 reimbursed sessions with the psychologist and 15 with the dietitian every year will make a difference of €1,000 and more for parents. So yes, we are very happy.”
