Eating disorders in sexual minority adolescents and young adults: examining clinical characteristics and psychiatric co-morbidities in an inpatient medical setting

Abstract

Plain English summary Eating disorders are highly prevalent among sexual minority individuals, including those who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Little is known about the medical and psychiatric profile of sexual minority adolescents and young adults with eating disorders who require inpatient hospitalization for medical stabilization. This study examines the clinical characteristics and psychiatric comorbidities of sexual minority adolescents and young adults compared to heterosexual peers hospitalized for medical complications of eating disorders from 2012-2020. The average age of our participants was 15 years old. The majority of participants were assigned female at birth and were White/Caucasian. We found that sexual minority adolescents and young adults were just as medically compromised as heterosexual peers and more likely to have a co-morbid diagnosis of depression, anxiety, and/ or post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally, sexual minority individuals were more likely to have a history of suicidal ideation and self-injurious behavior. These findings may have important implications for long-term prognosis and potential for recovery.

Keywords

• Sexual minority individuals
• Gay
• Lesbian
• Bisexual
• Eating disorders
• Inpatient medical unit