The Eating Disorders Unit: Risk Assessment

A Guide to the Medical Risk Assessment for Eating Disorders

This guide has been produced by the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Kings College London. It is designed for use with patients with eating disorders: Out-patients in primary and secondary care, medical in-patients, general psychiatric in-patients and eating disorder in-patients.

Introduction

People with eating disorders, in particular those with anorexia nervosa are at high risk in terms of their own health and safety. They have the highest mortality of any psychiatric illness. Both their physical state and suicidal behaviors contribute to this risk. Risk to others is less of a concern.

The factors involved in the assessment of risk in people with eating disorders include:

• Medical risk
• Psychological risk
• Psychosocial risk
• Insight/Capacity and motivation

A proxy measure for insight/motivation is the response to treatment. If medical risk is high and there is no response to treatment it is necessary to measure capacity and consider the use of Mental Health Law.

The guide aims to help in the understanding of :

1. The medical risk - how to assess it, evaluate it and where to refer.
2. The use of the Mental Health Act in treatment. If medical risk is high and there is no response to treatment it is necessary to measure capacity and consider the use of Mental Health Law.

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