The pandemic has made telehealth treatment options more common, which could relieve bottlenecks at treatment facilities. It’s something that’s impacting lots and lots of folks.” “We’ve been seeing them rise pretty consistently, so this isn’t a niche or specialty issue. “We know eating disorder rates are quite high,” Martin-Wagar said. 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.Ī few studies have shown a higher rate of eating disorders in urban centers, but it’s difficult to know whether that’s due to reduced stigma and more treatment options in metropolitan areas compared with rural settings. The center also plans to open an outpatient therapy facility 200 miles west in Missoula later this year.Ī third of people with eating disorders are men, a group that is underdiagnosed and undertreated. The Eating Disorder Center of Montana added a partial hospitalization program in 2017, which provides housing for out-of-towners and requires five to seven days of nearly all-day treatment programming led by a team of experts. There was no licensure process, and challenges abounded, from insurance coverage to the high level of specialization required to provide appropriate care. Jeni Gochin, who co-founded the center, said there were many barriers to starting an eating disorder treatment facility in Montana, where there were none. Only one came close: the Eating Disorder Center of Montana, a treatment program based in Bozeman and established in 2013. When Reynolds sought treatment in 2016, not one facility in Montana offered inpatient care, residential treatment, or partial hospitalization. “Finding people with those specialties and availability is often a challenge,” said Lauren Smolar, vice president of mission and education at the eating disorders association. Once a person in recovery can manage with less hands-on care, a variety of outpatient options may include therapy, meal support, or group counseling. Residential treatment is a step down from there, usually outside a hospital setting at a place akin to a rehab facility. The most intense treatment involves inpatient or partial hospitalization programs, best for those in need of round-the-clock care and acute medical stabilization. Subscribe to KHN's free Morning Briefing. “A lot of people are not able to access treatment, just given the geography and vast ruralness of the state,” said Caitlin Martin-Wagar, a University of Montana assistant professor and psychologist who specializes in eating disorder research. It also means more individuals go untreated because they lack the flexibility to give up a paying job or leave loved ones behind. That means many people like Reynolds must leave Montana for treatment, particularly true for those seeking higher levels of care, or drive for hours to attend therapy. By comparison, Colorado, which is nearly three-quarters of the size of Montana but has five times the population, shows nine providers. The National Eating Disorders Association’s provider database shows only two certified providers across all of Montana, the country’s fourth-largest state as measured by square miles. 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. Yet treatment options are sparse, particularly in rural states such as Montana.Įmergency 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. “I’m leaving my job that I love, leaving all my friends and my town and saying goodbye to normal life.”Įating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder, are some of the most fatal mental illnesses. “I just kept bingeing and purging because I was so stressed,” she said. Looking back six years later, Reynolds said seeking help was one of the most difficult parts of the recovery process.
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