Pica is a condition associated with a number of physical and mental health diagnoses. The potentially fatal consequences of pica and the links with significant physical health problems are not always recognised. Pica is like other forms of behaviour that can challenge: clinicians must seek the underlying cause and treat this first, before primarily pursuing a behavioural form of treatment. In this article, we discuss the associations, consequences, assessment and management options available for pica to guide professionals. Pica often presents in a way individual to the particular patient, so tailoring of assessment and treatment is important.

The transition from DSM-IV to DSM-5 relaxed diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and recognised a third eating disorder, binge eating disorder. However, a large proportion of cases remain in the ill-defined category of ‘other specified feeding and eating disorders’. We sought to investigate the utility of a proposed solution to classify this group further, subdividing based on the dominant clinical feature: binge eating/purging or restraint. Cluster analysis failed to identify clusters in a treatment-seeking sample based on symptoms of restraint, binge eating, purging and over-evaluation of shape and weight. Further investigation of this highly heterogeneous group is required.

The COVID-19 pandemic and government lockdown restrictions have had an impact on children and young people worldwide. In this editorial, we explore how and why referrals to UK children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) have changed during the pandemic and summarise the emerging data on the potential reasons behind this.

There are concerns that eating disorders have become commoner during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Using the electronic health records of 5.2 million people aged under 30, mostly in the USA, we show that the diagnostic incidence was 15.3% higher in 2020 overall compared with previous years (relative risk 1.15, 95% CI 1.12−1.19). The relative risk increased steadily from March 2020 onwards, exceeding 1.5 by the end of the year. The increase occurred solely in females, and primarily related to teenagers and anorexia nervosa. A higher proportion of patients with eating disorders in 2020 had suicidal ideation (hazard ratio HR = 1.30, 1.16−1.47) or attempted suicide (HR = 1.69, 1.21−2.35).

Eating disorders are heterogeneous disorders characterised by a maladaptive drive to lose weight and, for the most part, by extreme fear of weight gain and overvaluation of thin body image. Calorie restriction, overexercise and purging behaviours put some sufferers at high risk of physical morbidity and mortality. Mental preoccupations interfere with social, professional and general quality of life. Patients’ defensive secrecy and compulsivity can make it hard to diagnose and treat such disorders despite the suffering they involve. Integrated medical and psychiatric intervention can save life and safely improve nutrition. Behavioural support – with family and carer involvement when appropriate – can counter the dysregulation that leads to vicious cycles of restriction–binge–purge, helping patients develop new skills to regulate emotion without weight losing. In the future, exciting developments in neuroimaging, neurosurgery and pharmacology may lead to ways to make the brain more responsive to therapy. Insights into risk factors may also improve preventive strategies in a climate of highly sophisticated international electronic communication.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) was a new diagnosis in DSM-5 and is due to be included in ICD-11. However, confidence in making the diagnosis seems to be low among clinicians. Furthermore, there is no national consensus on care pathways for ARFID and therefore patients tend to be managed across core child and adolescent mental health services, specialist eating disorder services and paediatric services. If not adequately treated, ARFID can result in stunted growth, nutritional deficiency and impaired psychosocial functioning. Research and guidelines for managing this disorder are scarce, owing to low rates of diagnosis. This article aims to improve clinician confidence in the use of ARFID as a diagnosis and explores current consensus on treatment approaches, in order to progress future service planning for this complex and diverse patient group.