The youngest are hit hardest: The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitalization rate for children, adolescents, and young adults with anorexia nervosa in a large German representative sample

Herpertz‐Dahlmann, Beate; Dempfle, Astrid; Eckardt, Stefan

doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.2345

Cited by 26 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our result are in line with the systematic revision of literature which reported on average a 48% increase in eating disorder admissions during the pandemic compared to previous timepoints [ 11 ]. In fact, after pandemic onset, the increased stress caused by the Covid-19 circulation and the collective sense of lack of personal control likely contributed to increase neuropsychological disorders in adolescents [ 2 , 12 , 13 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pediatric acute hospitalization for anorexia nervosa: an economic evaluation

Marchili,

Bozzola,

Guolo

et al. 2024

Ital J Pediatr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric disorders which may potentially led to a high risk of health medical complications, suicide and self-harming behaviour. Since Covid-19 pandemic onset in March 2020, evidence suggested an increase occurrence of AN. The main aim of the retrospective analysis is to define the cost of hospitalization in the acute phase (HAP) at IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy, over 2 years study. Secondary purposes are defining the main risk factors for a prolonged hospitalization (including age, sex and comorbidities) and the possible influence of Covid-19 pandemic on AN admission and hospital stay. Methods for the purpose of the study, we included children and adolescents aged less than 18 years, admitted to IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children Hospital, Rome, Italy, with a diagnosis of AN. Medical costs were calculated consulting the Lazio Regional Health Service Tariffs. Basing on the date of hospital admission, patients were later divided into two subgroups: subgroup A included patients hospitalized prior than Covid-19 onset (from March 2019 to February 2020) and subgroup B those admitted after (from March 2020 to October 2022). Results a total of 260 patients has been included in the study with a median age of 15 years (range 6–18 years). The total health care cost of AN hospitalized patients was of EUR 3,352,333 with a median cost of EUR 11,124 for each admission (range EUR 930 − 45,739) and a median daily cost of EUR 593 (range EUR 557–930). Median cost was higher in case of comorbidities, guarded patients, enteral feeding. A prolonged hospitalization has been documented in subgroup A with a higher economic burden. Conclusions the economic burden of eating disorders is of note. Adequate sanitary policies as well as health economic analyses are required to gain insight into the cost-effectiveness of AN management. Trial registration 2526-OPBG-2021.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pediatric acute hospitalization for anorexia nervosa: an economic evaluation

Marchili,

Bozzola,

Guolo

et al. 2024

Ital J Pediatr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Future research should also focus on monitoring other health outcomes relevant to the young demographic, such as eating disorders. According to an analysis of administrative data from the largest German statutory health insurance, there has been a significant increase in hospital admissions for anorexia nervosa among children and adolescents during the pandemic, particularly among girls ( 64 ). This suggests that crises like the pandemic, which involve social isolation and school closures, can aggravate eating disorders in young people, possibly due to increased social media activity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health and quality of life in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

Orban,

Li,

Gilbert

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the mental health of children and families, i.e., due to measures like social distancing and remote schooling. While previous research has shown negative effects on mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), most studies have focused on pre-post comparisons in the early pandemic stages. This systematic review aims to examine longitudinal studies to understand the long-term impacts of the pandemic on children and adolescents.MethodsThis systematic review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and was preregistered in the international prospective register of systematic reviews (Record ID: CRD42022336930). We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, and the WHO-COVID-19 database and included studies published up to August 30, 2022. Based on pre-defined eligibility criteria, longitudinal and prospective studies that assessed the mental health or quality of life of children or adolescents (0–19 years) in the general population over a longer time span (at two or more measurement points) during the COVID-19 pandemic were included in the review. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using an adapted version of the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) checklist. Narrative data synthesis was used to summarize the findings.ResultsA total of 5,099 results were obtained from literature searches, with 4,935 excluded during title/abstract screening. After reviewing 163 full-text articles, 24 publications were included in the review. Sample sizes ranged between n = 86 and n = 34,038. The length of the investigated time periods and the number of assessment points, as well as outcomes, varied. The majority of studies were of moderate methodological quality. Mental health outcomes were more frequently studied compared to measures of HRQoL. The findings from these studies mostly suggest that children and adolescents experienced heightened mental health problems, specifically internalizing symptoms like anxiety and depression. Further, there was a decline in their overall HRQoL over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic that did not necessarily subside when lockdowns ended.ConclusionIt is crucial to continue monitoring the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents following the pandemic to identify groups at risks and plan interventions. This should ideally be conducted by large systematic studies, using validated instruments, and encompassing representative samples to obtain reliable and comprehensive insights with the aim of improving youth mental health care.

show abstract

“…The increase occurred exclusively in women and girls and was observed mainly in adolescents and in AN. Based on a large German statutory health insurance data set of approximately 4.7 million children (0-14 years) and adolescents (15-19 years) with a discharge diagnosis of typical and atypical AN, Herpertz-Dahlmann et al (2022) calculated admission rates per 10,000 person-years separately by sex and age group, based on admission numbers from the 9-month interval from January to September of 2019, 2020, and 2021 and the number of insured persons per sex and age group of each year. There was a highly significant increase of 40% (between the pre-COVID-19 and peri-COVID-19 periods in 2019 and 2021, respectively.…”

Section: Psychological Therapies Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind the gap ‐ A brief echo and some contributions from eating disorder experts from other European countries

Zipfel

Fernández‐Aranda

Giel

2023

Euro Eating Disorders Rev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recently, Davey et al. (2023) outlined several recommendations for future care, policy and research for patients with eating disorders which is primarily focused on the UK health care system. Our commentary aims at contributing several aspects from other European countries and emphasises the need for stronger European collaboration, joint initiatives and a strategic plan to foster clinical and research concepts in the eating disorder field, especially in a time of multiple (global) crises and restricted resources.

show abstract

The youngest are hit hardest: The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitalization rate for children, adolescents, and young adults with anorexia nervosa in a large German representative sample

Cited by 26 publications

References 39 publications

Pediatric acute hospitalization for anorexia nervosa: an economic evaluation

Pediatric acute hospitalization for anorexia nervosa: an economic evaluation

Mental health and quality of life in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review of longitudinal studies

Mind the gap ‐ A brief echo and some contributions from eating disorder experts from other European countries

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About