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Observational Study
. 2021 Dec 27;14(1):100.
doi: 10.3390/nu14010100.

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown in Eating Disorders: A Multicentre Collaborative International Study

Isabel Baenas  1   2   3 , Mikel Etxandi  1 , Lucero Munguía  1   2   3 , Roser Granero  2   3   4 , Gemma Mestre-Bach  5 , Isabel Sánchez  1   2   3 , Emilio Ortega  6   7 , Alba Andreu  6 , Violeta L Moize  6   7 , Jose-Manuel Fernández-Real  2   8   9 , Francisco J Tinahones  2   10 , Carlos Diéguez  2   11 , Gema Frühbeck  2   12 , Daniel Le Grange  13 , Kate Tchanturia  14 , Andreas Karwautz  15 , Michael Zeiler  15 , Hartmut Imgart  16 , Annika Zanko  16 , Angela Favaro  17 , Laurence Claes  18   19 , Ia Shekriladze  20 , Eduardo Serrano-Troncoso  21 , Raquel Cecilia-Costa  21 , Teresa Rangil  22   23 , Maria Eulalia Loran-Meler  22 , José Soriano-Pacheco  24   25 , Mar Carceller-Sindreu  24   25 , Rosa Navarrete  26 , Meritxell Lozano  27 , Raquel Linares  27 , Carlota Gudiol  28   29   30   31 , Jordi Carratala  28   29   30   31 , Maria T Plana  25   32   33 , Montserrat Graell  25   34 , David González-Parra  35 , José A Gómez-Del Barrio  25   36   37 , Ana R Sepúlveda  38 , Jéssica Sánchez-González  1 , Paulo P P Machado  39 , Anders Håkansson  40   41 , Ferenc Túry  42 , Bea Pászthy  43 , Daniel Stein  44 , Hana Papezová  45 , Jana Gricova  45 , Brigita Bax  46 , Mikhail F Borisenkov  47 , Sergey V Popov  47 , Denis G Gubin  48   49 , Ivan M Petrov  50 , Dilara Isakova  51 , Svetlana V Mustafina  52 , Youl-Ri Kim  53 , Michiko Nakazato  54 , Nathalie Godart  55   56   57 , Robert van Voren  58 , Tetiana Ilnytska  59 , Jue Chen  60 , Katie Rowlands  14 , Ulrich Voderholzer  61 , Alessio M Monteleone  62 , Janet Treasure  14 , Susana Jiménez-Murcia  1   2   3   30 , Fernando Fernández-Aranda  1   2   3   30
Affiliations
Observational Study

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown in Eating Disorders: A Multicentre Collaborative International Study

Isabel Baenas et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 lockdown has had a significant impact on mental health. Patients with eating disorders (ED) have been particularly vulnerable.

Aims: (1) To explore changes in eating-related symptoms and general psychopathology during lockdown in patients with an ED from various European and Asian countries; and (2) to assess differences related to diagnostic ED subtypes, age, and geography.

Methods: The sample comprised 829 participants, diagnosed with an ED according to DSM-5 criteria from specialized ED units in Europe and Asia. Participants were assessed using the COVID-19 Isolation Scale (CIES).

Results: Patients with binge eating disorder (BED) experienced the highest impact on weight and ED symptoms in comparison with other ED subtypes during lockdown, whereas individuals with other specified feeding and eating disorders (OFSED) had greater deterioration in general psychological functioning than subjects with other ED subtypes. Finally, Asian and younger individuals appeared to be more resilient.

Conclusions: The psychopathological changes in ED patients during the COVID-19 lockdown varied by cultural context and individual variation in age and ED diagnosis. Clinical services may need to target preventive measures and adapt therapeutic approaches for the most vulnerable patients.

Keywords: COVID-19 Isolation Eating Scale (CIES); COVID-19 lockdown; eating disorders; eating symptoms; psychological impact.

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Conflict of interest statement

FFA received consultancy honoraria from Novo Nordisk and editorial honoraria as EIC from Wiley. The rest of the authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Differences (post-pre changes) for the weight, the BMI and the CIES factors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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