Early Detection of Patients with Eating Disorders in General Practice

Eating Disorders (EDs) represent a serious public health issue that, in recent years, has taken on the characteristics of a true social epidemic. Timely diagnosis and treatment play a crucial role in the resolution of the disorder and in the prevention of chronic complications. Unfortunately, many individuals seek care with significant delay, resulting in severe prognostic consequences and a high risk of chronicity. General Practitioners (GPs), as primary care providers in direct contact with the public, often represent the first point of contact between patients and the National Health System. The families of those affected by these disorders can play a crucial role in the diagnostic-therapeutic process by identifying the symptoms early, which may appear very subtle in the initial stages. STUDY DESIGN Forty GPs, distributed across the national territory and selected by the Italian Society of Preventive Medicine and Lifestyle (SIMPeSV), will collaborate in the study. Enrollment will be non-competitive, and each participating GP will be required to administer the ED-PSTGP questionnaire to 30 adult patients. The GP will be responsible for evaluating the test. The presence of a positive answer to any of the 13 items in the questionnaire will be considered sufficient to raise a suspicion of ED. Patients who complete a test evaluated as positive will be asked to provide the following questionnaires to the potentially affected family member: * Eating Disorder Screen for Primary Care (ESP) * Sick, Control, One stone, Fat, Food (SCOFF) * Disordered Eating Questionnaire (DEQ) * Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II) The questionnaires and informed consent will be offered on an online platform and in Italian language. The family members indicated as potentially affected by EDs will be offered a teleconsultation (with the operators from the Nutrition Science Research Unit of the University of Rome La Sapienza; and the Clinical Psychology and Counseling Service of the University of Rome La Sapienza) to further investigate the suspicion of eating disorder. The GP will encourage individuals with suspected ED to contact the nearest reference center for ED treatment for diagnostic confirmation and possible management.