The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted daily life, inflicting widespread trauma. Those with pre-existing mental illnesses like eating disorders faced magnified challenges. This study uniquely leverages personal eating disorder recovery blogs to strengthen understanding of pandemic experiences from patients’ perspectives
Set of Female Characters with Eating Disorders Characterized By Distorted Body Image And Unhealthy Eating Behaviors. Young Women Suffering of Bulimia and Anorexia. Cartoon People Vector Illustration
Key Points
Rationale
Method
Sample
Results
The pandemic introduced distinct challenges of treatment disruption, heightened isolation, evolving food worries, and shifting family dynamics that collectively challenged eating disorder recovery and stability.
Here is a summary of the four key themes from the study related to the impact of COVID-19 on eating disorder recovery:
Loss of support and therapy due to institutional shutdowns
“The hospital has had to close, and I am back home for the foreseeable future.”
More isolated than most
“Being left with no support has been hard for me…”
Nurturing the physical self
“Some arseholes are stockpiling and I can’t find pasta for love nor money.”
Mixed support: Family and virtual influences
“Communication has been such a vital aspect of my survival during this quarantine.”
Insight and Depth
Strengths
Limitations
Clinical Implications
References
Chatterjee, S.S., Barikar C.M. & Mukherjee, A. (2020). Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on pre-existing mental health problems.Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 51, 102071.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.10207Ref
Cullen, W., Gulati, G. & Kelly, B.D. (2020). Mental health in the Covid-19 pandemic.QJM, 113(5), 311–312.https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcaa110
Klump, K.L., Bulik, C.M., Kaye, W.H., Treasure, J. & Tyson, E. (2009). Academy for eating disorders position paper: Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses.International Journal of Eating Disorders, 42(2), 97–103.https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.20589
Mitrofan, O., Petkova, H., Janssens, A. et al. (2019). Care experiences of young people with eating disorders and their parents: Qualitative study.BJPsych Open, 5(1), e6.https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2018.78
Rodgers, R.F., Lombardo, C., Cerolini, S. et al. (2020). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on eating disorder risk and symptoms.International Journal of Eating Disorders 53(7), 1166–1170.https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23318
Tausczik, Y., Faasse, K., Pennebaker, J.W. & Petrie, K. J. (2012). Public anxiety and information seeking following the H1N1 outbreak: Blogs, newspaper articles, and Wikipedia visits.Health Commun, 27(2), 179–185.https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2011.571759
Socratic Questions
Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education
Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.
Saul McLeod, PhD
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester
Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
