Peer-reviewed article
Transition From Child to Adult Eating Disorder Services: A Qualitative Meta-Aggregation.
Amelia Austin, Manya Singh, Sela Scott, Maria Nicula, Andrea Krishnapillai et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic review synthesizes 21 qualitative studies about how young people with eating disorders transition from child to adult health services. The review identifies key challenges including distress for young people, families and clinicians, and gaps in communication and coordination between services. The findings highlight the need for personalized transition planning that considers developmental readiness, early preparation, clear communication, and involvement of families alongside building young people's independence. The review suggests that better training for GPs, dedicated transition coordinators, and shared approaches between paediatric and adult services could improve outcomes during this difficult period.
Key points
- Transition from child to adult eating disorder services is distressing for young people, families, and clinicians and deserves specific attention
- Clear communication between all parties, early conversations during paediatric care, and health management skills-building are essential
- Timing should align with developmental readiness and account for concurrent life transitions, with personalized plans
- Joint supports should include overlapping care periods, transition coordinators, transition passports, and peer support
- GPs need more training to support young people during referral gaps, and adult services need ED-specific training and resources
Limitations
The review synthesizes only qualitative studies, so does not provide evidence on the effectiveness of specific transition interventions or quantitative outcomes. The countries where the included studies were conducted are not specified in the metadata provided.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Some young people with eating disorders (EDs) require transfer from paediatric to adult services, which can be difficult and distressing. While most research on this topic is qualitative, no qualitative focused synthesis yet exists. METHODS: Systematic review identified 21 qualitative studies, which were analysed using meta-aggregation. RESULTS: Findings included: (1) Age-related transfers deserve specific attention; (2) The distress of the young person, families, and clinicians must be considered; (3) Clear communication between all parties is essential; (4) Paediatric supports should include early conversations and build health management skills; (5) Timing should align with developmental readiness; (6) Plans should be personalised and account for concurrent life transitions; (7) Referrals should be straightforward; GPs need more training to support young people during referral gaps; [Correction added on 06 July 2026, after first online publication: The word "support" has been added to the preceding sentence.] (8) Joint supports include overlapping care, transition coordinators, transition passports, and peer support; (9) Paediatric and adult services should develop a shared philosophy/culture for emerging adults; (10) Parent/carer involvement should be balanced with building the young person's independence; (11) ED-specific guidelines or interventions may be beneficial; (12) Adult supports include emerging adult programming, increased resources, and ED training for generalist services. DISCUSSION: While consistent with existing expertise based guidance, this synthesis provides a qualitative evidence base to inform intervention development and co-production.