Challenges in the Assessment and Diagnosis of Eating Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence Given Current Diagnostic and Assessment Instruments

The diagnosis and assessment of children and adolescents with eating disorders is fraught with challenges. This chapter reviews the problems inherent within the most widely used classification systems and assessment instruments currently available. The greatest challenge is that these systems and measures have typically been designed for adult populations, and thus, are often developmentally inappropriate for youth. It is recommended that …