One year of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with eating disorders, healthy sisters, and community women: evidence of psychological vulnerabilities

Abstract

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has been a psychological burden worldwide, especially for individuals with eating disorders (EDs). In addition, the healthy sisters of patients with EDs are known to present specific psychological vulnerabilities. This study evaluates differences between the general population, patients with EDs, and their healthy sisters. Method A group of 233 participants (91 patients with EDs, 57 of their healthy sisters and 85 community women) was enrolled in an online survey on general and specific psychopathology 1 year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey examined associations between posttraumatic symptoms and depression, anxiety, obsessive–compulsiveness, interpersonal sensitivity, and eating-related concerns. Results Clinically relevant scores for posttraumatic disorders were found in patients with EDs. Healthy sisters scored similarly to patients for avoidance. Regression analysis showed specific associations between interpersonal sensitivity and posttraumatic symptomatology in patients and healthy sisters, but not in community women. Conclusion The psychological burden in patients with EDs is clinically relevant and linked to interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive–compulsiveness, and global symptom severity. Differences between patients, healthy sisters, and community women are discussed regarding vulnerability factors for EDs. Level of evidence Level III: evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case–control analytic studies.

A Multicenter Network Analysis Examining the Psychological Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients with Eating Disorders versus Their Healthy Siblings

“…In line with the literature, significant differences emerged between patients and HSs regarding posttraumatic symptoms, with more severe impacts seen in the patients [ 15 ]. This is in line with our previous findings [ 29 ] and with the pandemic literature that has found a significant increase in posttraumatic symptomatology in patients with EDs [ 38 ]. However, an interesting aspect of this study is the absence of network differences between patients and HSs.…”

“…The inclusion criteria for all participants were as follows: between 14 and 40 years old (which is the usual age range of patients treated at the ED unit) with no history of psychotic symptoms or severe medical conditions. A portion of the current sample had already been included in a previous study [ 29 ].…”

“…Therefore, it has been hypothesized that individuals with EDs who experience difficulty in regulating emotions may experience exacerbated symptoms in the presence of a traumatic event, such as the pandemic, including social isolation and loneliness [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. When studying healthy siblings’ responses, the similarities between patients and the relationships between posttraumatic symptoms and other psychopathological constructs have already been reported in relation to the pandemic’s effects—such as interpersonal sensitivity and obsessive-compulsiveness [ 29 ]—calling for further investigation to better understand these results.…”

Virtual Rejection and Overinclusion in Eating Disorders: An Experimental Investigation of the Impact on Emotions, Stress Perception, and Food Attitudes

“…These aspects might also be important in different scenarios and have been pointed out as crucial, for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 80 ]. Indeed, the disruption of social connections and routines has been related to more severe psychopathology, and impaired coping strategies in social situations might explain different responses to the pandemic [ 81 , 82 , 83 ], calling for new studies in the field.…”

Editorial: Highlights in psychopathology: Mental health among young adults

“…Even when symptoms are below a clinical threshold, mood and anxiety disorders are associated with a large disease burden in youth, with many negative physical, social, behavioral, and health outcomes (Kessler et al, 2012 ; Shah et al, 2020 ). Psychopathological trajectories in youth have been connected to different features that might be related to neurobiological vulnerabilities (Beauchaine, 2015 ; Langenecker et al, 2018 ), an adverse environment (Hong et al, 2022 ), as well as their interactions (Teicher and Samson, 2013 ; Meneguzzo et al, 2022 ). Recently, the global burden effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic has corroborated how youths are vulnerable to environmental changes and challenges, external adversity, and abrupt changes in life trajectories (Carroll et al, 2021 ).…”