Hospitalizations for Anorexia Nervosa during the COVID-19 Pandemic in France: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on mental health, including on food-related behaviors. However, little is known about the effect of the pandemic on anorexia nervosa (AN). We sought to assess an association between the COVID-19 pandemic and a potential increase in hospitalizations for AN in France. We compared the number of hospitalizations with a diagnosis of AN during the 21-month period following the onset of the pandemic with the 21-month period before the pandemic using Poisson regression models. We identified a significant increase in hospitalizations for girls aged 10 to 19 years (+45.9%, RR = 1.46[1.43–1.49]; p < 0.0001), and for young women aged 20 to 29 (+7.0%; RR = 1.07[1.04–1.11]; p < 0.0001). Regarding markers of severity, there was an increase in hospitalizations for AN associated with a self-harm diagnosis between the two periods. Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk of being admitted for self-harm with AN increased significantly during the pandemic period among patients aged 20–29 years (aOR = 1.39[1.06–1.81]; p < 0.05 vs. aOR = 1.15[0.87–1.53]; NS), whereas it remained high in patients aged 10 to 19 years (aOR = 2.40[1.89–3.05]; p < 0.0001 vs. aOR = 3.12[2.48–3.98]; p < 0.0001). Furthermore, our results suggest that the pandemic may have had a particular effect on the mental health of young women with AN, with both a sharp increase in hospitalizations and a high risk of self-harming behaviors.

Estimated prevalence of DSM‐5 eating disorders in Norwegian adolescents: A community based two‐phase study

“…Several factors may help explain discrepancies between our results and broader epidemiological findings. Firstly, we have seen a global rise in levels of ED pathology during the Covid‐19 pandemic (Chauvet‐Gelinier et al, 2022; Lin et al, 2021; Monteleone et al, 2021; Spettigue et al, 2021; Tavolacci et al, 2021), especially in young girls presenting with full and subthreshold AN (Agostino et al, 2021; Haripersad et al, 2021; Meier et al, 2022; Taquet et al, 2022). Like numerous countries globally, Norway's public health care system observed a significant surge in EDs during the pandemic, the period when this study's data was gathered.…”

Renutrition and management of severe anorexia nervosa in intensive care: Review and multidisciplinary approach

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this process. Several studies have pointed out a marked increase in new diagnoses and severity of preexisting cases of AN with higher rates of hospital admission during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown [13][14][15].…”

Risk of hospitalization for self-harm among adults hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 in France: A nationwide retrospective cohort study

“…Most research has focused on the putative links between adverse psychological triggers (e.g. confinement, social isolation, or closure of non-essential activities) and self-harm behaviors in vulnerable populations ( Farooq et al 2021 ; Chauvet-Gelinier et al 2022 ). In addition, a meta-analysis of studies conducted between 1910 and 2020, including the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, showed that the link between historical epidemics and suicidal behavior did not appear to be strong, but also highlighted the lack of qualitative and quantitative data on the issue ( Rogers et al 2021 ; Zhu, Li, et Xu 2022 ).…”