The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on help-seeking behaviors in individuals suffering from eating disorders and their caregivers.

Publisher: Elsevier/North-Holland Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7905527 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1873-7714 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01638343 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Gen Hosp Psychiatry Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: New York, Elsevier/North-Holland.

COVID-19* ; Feeding and Eating Disorders*/epidemiology ; Feeding and Eating Disorders*/physiopathology ; Feeding and Eating Disorders*/psychology ; Feeding and Eating Disorders*/therapy; Caregivers/*statistics & numerical data ; Facilities and Services Utilization/*statistics & numerical data ; Health Services Accessibility/*statistics & numerical data ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/*statistics & numerical data; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Internal-External Control ; Internet-Based Intervention/statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Psychotherapy/statistics & numerical data ; Social Support ; Symptom Flare Up ; Young Adult

Objective: To describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on help-seeking behaviors among individuals with eating disorders and caregivers.
Methods: We analyzed service utilization data from the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC). We compared the number of contacts and symptom frequency between the pandemic period and previous years.
Results: NEDIC was contacted 609 times during March 1-April 30, 2020 (72.1% individuals affected by disordered eating, 20.4% caregivers). The number of total contacts significantly increased from 2018 to 2019 and 2018 to 2020 (X ² (3) = 50.34, p < .001). Among affected individuals (80.4% women), the number of contacts during the pandemic period was significantly higher (n = 439; X ² (2) = 92.74, p < .001) compared to 2018 (n = 197) and 2019 (n = 312). There were higher rates of eating disorder symptoms, anxiety, and depression in 2020 compared to previous years. Thematic analysis of instant chats from the pandemic year revealed four emerging themes: 1) lack of access to treatment, 2) worsening of symptoms, 3) feeling out of control, and 4) need for support.
Conclusion: These findings point toward the impact of COVID-19 in individuals affected by disordered eating and hold implications for service delivery during times of crises.
(Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

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Keywords: COVID-19; Eating disorder; Internet; Psychotherapy; Treatment

Date Created: 20201031 Date Completed: 20201222 Latest Revision: 20230701

20231215

PMC10277602

10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2020.10.006

33129138