Treatment and care for hundreds of South Australians suffering from eating disorders will be enhanced thanks to a new $7.1 million world-class centre of excellence for eating disorders.
Thanks to your generous support, and a partnership with the Federal Government and SA Health, Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation will build a new Statewide Eating Disorder Service (SEDS) building on the Repatriation General Hospital site.
Breakthrough Executive Director John Mannion said, in addition to providing the best treatment for people with eating disorders and their families, the new building will also seek answers to this all-consuming disease by housing a world-leading research team.
This wouldn’t be possible without your generous support. Thank you.
“Right now, more than one million people in Australia are experiencing an eating disorder,” John said.
“A new purpose-built centre will allow opportunities that have not been possible in SEDS’ current building which is undersized and outdated,” John said.
“The inclusion of a new dedicated research space will also allow researchers to tackle eating disorders from every angle and really make strides in stopping this disease which has for too long been so devastating for sufferers and their families.”
But we still need your help to fund ongoing eating disorders research at the centre to find earlier interventions and stop disease progression. Will you help us?
Plans for the building include:
- Day support for people living with eating disorders
- Step-down residential care services supporting patients to reintegrate into the community
- Large therapy rooms to support the delivery of family-based therapy and day program models
- Courtyard gardens to encourage contact outdoors.
- Purpose designed kitchens and dining rooms focused on sensory modulation designs to minimise distress to patients and families during their personalised therapy.
Breakthrough Foundation Chairman Alan Young, said announcement of the new building was welcome, after years advocating for increased support.
“This centre adds another much-needed voice for those who suffer with eating disorders, and a way back to good health and wellbeing,” Mr Young said.
“It makes a bold statement that we are all here to help and ultimately prevent these devastating disorders.
“The support of the South Australian and Federal Governments is visionary and strengthens the drive for better outcomes in mental health and wellbeing.”
The dedicated research space will allow researchers from Flinders University to explore genetic risk factors and earlier interventions to help combat the illness.
Among them is world-leading eating disorders researcher Professor Tracey Wade from Flinders University:
“By having a purpose-built centre, it will enable patients, clinicians and researchers to work side by side and under the one roof providing South Australians with the best possible evidence-based treatment and therapies whilst conducting ground breaking research,” Prof Wade said.
Head of the Statewide Eating Disorder Service, Dr Randall Long, said:
“This beautiful building will bring together patients, researchers, clinicians, families and carers in a united effort to battle this deadly illness.”
Thank you to The Fay Fuller Foundation for a generous $500,000 donation, and the family of Lauren Corena for their support of this centre.
See the official media release here.
We need your help to fund ongoing research into eating disorders
The new Statewide Eating Disorders Service building will bring patients, clinicians and researchers under the one roof to work side by side and conduct ground breaking research which seeks answers to devastating eating disorders.
Your help is needed to fund ongoing research in the centre and develop new treatment programs, so we can find earlier interventions and stop progression of this devastating disease.
Will you help?
