Objective: To present the adaptations to treatment protocols made in a child and adolescent eating disorders (ED) unit during the eight-week confinement period mandated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and examine clinical and treatment variables in the outpatient, day hospital, and inpatient care programs. Method: Description of the implementation of a combined teletherapy program for outpatient and day-hospital patients and the adaptations made to the inpatient protocol. Retrospective review of medical records and analysis of general and specific variables related to the pandemic and confinement. Results: We held 1,329 (73.10%) telehealth consultations and 489 (26.9%) faceto-face outpatient visits with 365 patients undergoing treatment in the outpatient clinic or day hospital. Twenty-eight (7.67%) were initial evaluations. Twenty-two patients were newly admitted and 68 ED-related emergencies were attended. Almost half of the children and adolescents studied experienced reactivation of ED symptoms despite treatment, and severe patients (25%) presented self-harm and suicide risk. Conclusions: The implementation of a combined teletherapy program has enabled continuity of care during confinement for children and adolescents with ED. Delivery of treatment to adolescents in the day hospital program posed the biggest challenge due to their greater degrees of severity and higher hospitalization rates. An adapted inpatient program should be maintained throughout confinement, as the need for hospitalization of children and adolescents with ED does not decrease with lockdown.

Las conjeturas sobre la conexión entre psicología y salud, en general, y entre variables afectivas y salud, en particular, captaron por primera vez enorme atención internacional con el psicoanálisis de Sigmund Freud, a principios del siglo XX. Un ejemplo de que en esa época despegó el estudio sobre esta conexión fue la creación en 1939 de la hoy prestigiosa revista Psychosomatic Medicine. Hoy en día, un siglo después, aunque aún no es bien comprendida la relación entre variables afectivas y salud, sí disponemos de suficiente acumulación de evidencia científica que muestra que dicha relación existe, es bidireccional y tiene base psicobiológica (

Objective To explore the feasibility and acceptability of a novel hospital‐at‐home (HaH) program for adolescent patients with a severe eating disorder (ED). Method Retrospective description of the program during its first year of activity. The feasibility construct is based on accessibility, recruitment, rate of retention, avoidance of hospital stays, and management of crisis situations. Caregivers completed a satisfaction questionnaire on discharge, including an item on perceived safety. All patients referred to the program were included. Results Fifty‐nine female patients with a mean age of 14.69 years (SD = 1.67) were admitted. The mean stay was 39.14 days (SD = 14.47). On admission, 32.2% of patients presented nonsuicidal self‐harm behavior and 47.5% had comorbid mental disorders. All patients were screened in the first 48 h after referral, and the program retention rate was 91.52%. As for use of health services, 2016.03 hospital stays were avoided, and only 16.12% of the 31 calls received for urgent care required emergency department visits. Families gave the program an overall satisfaction score of 4.95/5, and all described it as “very safe.” Discussion The HaH program described is a feasible and acceptable care model in adolescents with severe EDs and comorbidities. Effectiveness studies should be performed. Public Significance Eating disorders are a major concern for public health. The adolescent HaH program presented marks an advance in intensive community treatments for patients with severe EDs and comorbidities.

No abstract