COVID-19 Pandemic Consequences among Individuals with Eating Disorders on a Clinical Sample in Poland—A Cross-Sectional Study

Przemysław Seweryn Kasiak, Natalia Adamczyk, Alicja Monika Jodczyk, Aleksandra Kaproń, Anna Lisowska, Artur Mamcarz and Daniel Śliż
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Przemysław Seweryn Kasiak: Students’ Scientific Group of Lifestyle Medicine, 3rd Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 04-749 Warsaw, Poland
Natalia Adamczyk: Students’ Scientific Group of Lifestyle Medicine, 3rd Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 04-749 Warsaw, Poland
Alicja Monika Jodczyk: Students’ Scientific Group of Lifestyle Medicine, 3rd Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 04-749 Warsaw, Poland
Aleksandra Kaproń: Students’ Scientific Group of Lifestyle Medicine, 3rd Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 04-749 Warsaw, Poland
Anna Lisowska: Students’ Scientific Group of Lifestyle Medicine, 3rd Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 04-749 Warsaw, Poland
Artur Mamcarz: Polish Society of Lifestyle Medicine, 00-388 Warsaw, Poland
Daniel Śliż: Students’ Scientific Group of Lifestyle Medicine, 3rd Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Medical University of Warsaw, 04-749 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-12

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic and imposed restrictions had negative consequences on overall health among many populations. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the pandemic on eating disorders (ED) and mental health (MH) of individuals with confirmed ED diagnoses. A survey consisting of questions related to (1) diagnosis of COVID-19, (2) changes in ED symptoms and onset of new symptoms, (3) psychological and MH aspects regarding to the pandemic, (4) lifestyle changes, and (5) social media (SM) usage was distributed between April–June 2021. One hundred and ninety-eight individuals met all of the inclusion criteria ( n females = 195, 98.48%; n other gender = 3, 1.52%). Of the participants, 78.79% reported worsening of their ED symptoms, 42.93% of them noticed an onset of new ED symptoms, and 57.58% believed that the pandemic had a negative impact on their ED treatment. Negative changes due to the pandemic on MH were reported by 88.89%. Of the participants, 91.92% increased their time spent on SM and 54.04% of them declared that it had a negative impact on their MH. Medical professionals should consider results while providing comprehensive psychological care, which can be crucial information in the application of the appropriate treatment strategy.

Keywords: eating disorder; COVID-19 pandemic; mental health; social media; symptoms worsening; coping strategies; depression; lifestyle changes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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