Impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on a cohort of eating disorders patients

Abstract

Background Lockdown implemented to prevent the COVID-19 spread resulted in marked changes in the lifestyle. The objective of the current study was to assess the impact of lockdown measures on a cohort of eating disorder (ED) patients being followed as part of an ongoing naturalistic treatment study. Methods Ninety-nine patients aged 18 or older, currently or previously, in treatment at a Portuguese specialized hospital unit were contacted by phone and invited to participate in the current survey. Fifty-nine agreed to be interviewed by phone, and 43 agreed to respond to a set of self-report measures of ED symptoms, emotion regulation difficulties, clinical impairment, negative urgency, and COVID-19 impact, during the week after the end of the lockdown period. Results Data showed that of the 26 patients currently in treatment: 8 remained unchanged (31%), 7 deteriorated (27%), and 11 reliably improved (42%). Of the 17 participants not currently in treatment: 3 deteriorated (18%), 9 remained unchanged (53%), and 5 (29%) improved after the lockdown period. The Coronavirus Impact Scale showed that most patients considered their routines moderately or extremely impacted, experienced stress related to coronavirus, and showed difficulty in maintaining physical exercise and feeding routines. Results suggest that higher impact of COVID-19 lockdown was significantly correlated with eating disorder symptoms and associated psychopathology, impulsivity, difficulties in emotion regulation and clinical impairment measured at post-lockdown. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown measures on clinical impairment was mediated by difficulties in emotion regulation. Conclusions Findings suggest that some ED patients may experience worsening of their condition, especially if associated with difficulties in emotion regulation, and these difficulties might be exacerbated in the context of a stressful crisis and lockdown measures, highlighting the need for intervention strategies to mitigate its negative impact.

Effects of mobility restrictions on mental health among young adults in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study

“…Stressful situations such lock-downs trigger stress and/or discomfort, which could prompt people to develop emotional attitudes when eating 28 . Our finding is in line with others in that, all suggest an increased frequency of alterations of eating patterns during COVID-19 pandemic 27,29 . We also found that in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, women are more likely to show EE behaviors in comparison to men.…”

Effects of mobility restrictions on mental health among young adults in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study

“…Stressful situations such lock-downs trigger stress and/or discomfort, which could prompt people to develop emotional attitudes when eating (Romeo-Arroyo et al 2020). Our nding is in line with others in that, all suggest an increased frequency of alterations of eating patterns during COVID-19 pandemic (Akim & Ayivodji;Machado et al 2020). We also found that in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, women are more likely to show EE behaviors in comparison to men.…”

COVID-19 lockdown and lifestyles: A narrative review

“…Their unhealthy food consumption and sedentary lifestyle were attributed to a great deal of stress experienced by the children due to interruption of school and sports activities among other factors 38 . Studies also reported that individuals with eating disorders and other psychiatric disorders diagnosed prior to the lockdown fared worse during the lockdown period due to low self-directedness and less adaptive coping 20,[39][40][41][42][43][44] .…”