Abstract
COVID-19 was an unprecedented time for the entire world. As cases rapidly rose globally, the primary focus was on preventing further spread of the virus and taking care of acutely ill patients. Unfortunately, this meant that getting adequate care for other chronic conditions, including eating disorders (EDs), was a lower priority. Adolescents with EDs were a particularly vulnerable population, as their source of social support and normalcy in the form of school and in-person activities was removed with social distancing and lockdowns. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how COVID-19 affected EDs in adolescents, including likelihood of accessing care, rates of hospitalizations, use of telehealth services, and development of co-morbid mental health conditions. This brief review of current research will explore how adolescents with EDs were negatively affected by the pandemic, and future research directions to better understand this topic.
Recommended Citation
Muchivolu S, Espiridion E. A Brief Literature Review of the Impact of COVID-19 on Eating Disorders in Adolescents. Transformative Medicine. 2023; 2(1):1-5. doi: https://doi.org/10.54299/tmed/wbii2365.