Susan Ringwood

Chief Executive- Beat

RCPsychs June 2014

Talk outline

• Beat- Our vision and mission

• The services and support we provide

• The views of people with eating disorders

and their families:

- on diagnosis

- on treatment

- on research

RCPsychs June 2014

Our history

• Formed in 1989

• 3 local charities merged

• First UK wide charity for eating disorders

• Eating Disorders Association

• Became Beat in 2007

RCPsychs June 2014

We believe:

• Eating disorders are serious mental

illnesses

• They are multi-factorial

• They are treatable conditions

• Recovery is possible

RCPsychs June 2014

Our vision is...

that eating disorders will be beaten

RCPsychs June 2014

• Help-lines, email and text

• Website, forums and live chat

• Support groups

• Literature and publications

• Work in schools

• Training and conferences

• Media work and campaigning

What we do

RCPsychs June 2014

RCPsychs June 2014

RCPsychs June 2014

Reasons for Contact

• First worries or diagnosis 50%

• Treatment access 35%

• Crisis 25%

RCPsychs June 2014

RCPsychs June 2014

First worries

“ I had a bit of knowledge- I’m a nurse,

but I looked at your website and it

confirmed my feelings. I made an

appointment with our GP straight away”

RCPsychs June 2014

Diagnosis

• Confirmed all the research that I had done

up to it and realised that my gut instinct

had been right all along

• I felt that at last my concerns were being

taken seriously.

• We knew. We just had to wait for the GP

to catch up.

• Started to get her treatment and educate

us both

RCPsychs June 2014

RCPsychs June 2014

RCPsychs June 2014

RCPsychs June 2014

Access to treatment

“There was no-one locally our GP knew

who worked in the NHS”

“ all we have been given is an eating

plan, and I don’t think that will make her

start eating at all”

RCPsychs June 2014

RCPsychs June 2014

Crisis

“ The A&E department didn’t seem to

know how to deal with her suicide

attempts and self harm”

“It got very scary and I can’t believe I got

so frightened of my own daughter, the

outbursts were terrifying”

RCPsychs June 2014

Improvements to treatment

Education/information for families 30%

Involve the family 27%

Early intervention 17%

GP awareness/skills 15%

Co-ordination/communication 13%

Access to treatment 10%

RCPsychs June 2014

RCPsychs June 2014

RCPsychs June 2014

Research impact

• Some research findings have been shared

with us but not consistently applied

• I still think there are still some clinicians

who don't understand that these are not

illnesses of choice, just like other

illnesses

• cant tell what research has affected the

professionals or the practice they offer

RCPsychs June 2014

Research directions

Genetics 52%

Prevention 17%

Causes 13%

RCPsychs June 2014

Thank you!

RCPsychs June 2014