Monaco Francesco, Vignapiano Annarita, Meneguzzo Paolo, Palermo Stefania, Caputo Annaluce, Forte Ilona, Boccia Antonella, Longobardi Anna, Di Pierro Marilena, Panarello Ernesta, Di Gruttola Benedetta, Mainardi Annarita, Bonifacio Rossella, Ferrara Emanuela, Marenna Alessandra, Piacente Martina, Landi Stefania, Cozzolino Mauro, Steardo Luca, Corrivetti Giulio
Department of Mental Health, ASL Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
European Biomedical Research Institute of Salerno (EBRIS), Salerno, Italy.
Front Psychol. 2025 Mar 26;16:1522599. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1522599. eCollection 2025.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global mental health, exacerbating the prevalence and severity of Eating Disorders (EDs). This study evaluates changes in the presentation and severity of EDs before and after the pandemic at the Regional Residential Center "Mariconda" in Salerno.
This retrospective cohort study analyzed records from 162 patients admitted to the center between December 2018 and December 2023. The onset of pandemic restrictions in mid-2020 divided the subjects into pre-COVID and COVID groups. Data collected included age, gender, education level, previous hospital admissions, admission diagnoses, body mass index (BMI), and comorbidity with other psychiatric conditions.
Among the 162 subjects, 115 (71%) were admitted during the pandemic period. This group was significantly younger (mean age: 18.3 vs. 20.6 years, = 0.009), had lower educational attainment (67% vs. 49% below secondary school diploma, = 0.025), had a higher rate of prior hospitalizations (49% vs. 26%, = 0.007), and demonstrated a higher prevalence of severe comorbidities with other mental illnesses (94% vs. 82%, = 0.009) compared to the pre-COVID cohort. No significant differences were observed in gender distribution, initial diagnoses upon admission, or average length of hospital stay.
The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the presentation and severity of EDs, particularly among younger individuals with lower educational backgrounds. This underscores the urgent need for targeted, integrated treatment approaches for EDs in the context of global crises, including the development of strategies to address the increased severity of comorbid conditions and higher frequency of hospital readmissions observed in this study. These results highlight the necessity of reinforcing multidisciplinary care models that integrate medical, psychological, and social support to address the heightened complexity of post-pandemic ED cases and ensure more effective, long-term treatment outcomes. Future research is essential to explore the long-term effects of the pandemic on EDs, as well as to refine treatment strategies that better support those affected.
新冠疫情对全球心理健康产生了重大影响，加剧了饮食失调症（EDs）的患病率和严重程度。本研究评估了萨勒诺的“马里孔达”地区住宿中心在疫情前后饮食失调症的表现和严重程度变化。
这项回顾性队列研究分析了2018年12月至2023年12月期间入住该中心的162名患者的记录。2020年年中疫情限制措施的开始将受试者分为新冠疫情前组和新冠疫情组。收集的数据包括年龄、性别、教育水平、既往住院情况、入院诊断、体重指数（BMI）以及与其他精神疾病的共病情况。
在162名受试者中，115名（71%）在疫情期间入院。与新冠疫情前队列相比，该组年龄显著更小（平均年龄：18.3岁对20.6岁，P = 0.009），教育程度更低（67%对49%低于中学文凭，P = 0.025），既往住院率更高（49%对26%，P = 0.007），并且与其他精神疾病的严重共病患病率更高（94%对82%，P = 0.009）。在性别分布、入院时的初始诊断或平均住院时间方面未观察到显著差异。
研究结果表明，新冠疫情加剧了饮食失调症的表现和严重程度，尤其是在教育背景较低的年轻个体中。这凸显了在全球危机背景下针对饮食失调症采取有针对性的综合治疗方法的迫切需求，包括制定策略来应对本研究中观察到的共病情况严重程度增加和再次入院频率更高的问题。这些结果强调了加强多学科护理模式的必要性，该模式整合医疗、心理和社会支持，以应对疫情后饮食失调症病例日益增加的复杂性，并确保更有效、长期的治疗效果。未来的研究对于探索疫情对饮食失调症的长期影响以及完善更好地支持受影响者的治疗策略至关重要。
