Branley-Bell Dawn, Talbot Catherine V
Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK.
J Eat Disord. 2020 Aug 31;8:44. doi: 10.1186/s40337-020-00319-y. eCollection 2020.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may raise unique challenges for individuals with experience of eating disorders. Many factors have potential for detrimental impacts on psychological wellbeing and eating disorder recovery, including: Disruption to living situations, 'social distancing' restrictions, difficult access to healthcare, and societal changes to food behaviours and technology usage. To date, little is known on the impact of the pandemic on this population, particularly within the UK.
A mixed-methods online survey was developed for the purpose of this study. Data was collected from 129 individuals currently experiencing, or in recovery from, an eating disorder during the early stages of the UK pandemic lockdown. Participants were aged between 16 and 65 years, with 121 participants identifying as female, 7 male and 1 participant preferring not to disclose their gender.
Findings suggest that the pandemic is having a profound, negative impact upon individuals with experience of eating disorders. Eight key themes were generated: Disruption to living situation, increased social isolation and reduced access to usual support networks, changes to physical activity rates, reduced access to healthcare services, disruption to routine and perceived control, changes to relationship with food, increased exposure to triggering messages, and positive outcomes. The results suggest detrimental impacts on psychological wellbeing including decreased feelings of control, increased feelings of social isolation, increased rumination about disordered eating, and low feelings of social support.
Individuals with eating disorders are at significant risk of negative impacts of the pandemic. There is a vital need for interventions to support this population. Inequalities in healthcare provision were identified, emphasising a need for a more cohesive approach to remote treatment across UK healthcare services. Positive aspects of technology use were identified but the results suggest a need to address and/or limit the potential for negative impacts of public messages around food and exercise behaviours, and to co-design technologies with end-users to facilitate effective treatment.
2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行可能给有饮食失调经历的个人带来独特挑战。许多因素有可能对心理健康和饮食失调的康复产生不利影响，包括：生活状况的扰乱、“社交距离”限制、获得医疗保健困难，以及社会在饮食行为和技术使用方面的变化。迄今为止，对于大流行对这一人群的影响知之甚少，尤其是在英国。
为本研究开发了一项混合方法在线调查。在英国大流行封锁的早期阶段，从129名目前正在经历饮食失调或正在康复的个体中收集数据。参与者年龄在16至65岁之间，其中121名参与者为女性，7名男性，1名参与者不愿透露其性别。
研究结果表明，大流行正在对有饮食失调经历的个体产生深远的负面影响。产生了八个关键主题：生活状况的扰乱、社交隔离增加和获得常规支持网络的机会减少、身体活动率的变化、获得医疗服务的机会减少、日常生活和感知控制的扰乱、与食物关系的变化、接触引发信息的机会增加，以及积极结果。结果表明对心理健康有不利影响，包括控制感下降、社交隔离感增加、对饮食失调的反复思考增加，以及社会支持感低。
饮食失调患者面临大流行负面影响的重大风险。迫切需要采取干预措施来支持这一人群。确定了医疗保健提供方面的不平等现象，强调需要在英国医疗服务中采取更具凝聚力的远程治疗方法。确定了技术使用的积极方面，但结果表明需要解决和/或限制围绕食物和运动行为的公共信息产生负面影响的可能性，并与最终用户共同设计技术以促进有效治疗。
