Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32856333›Full record

Observational studyThe International journal of eating disorders2020

The impact of COVID-19 epidemic on eating disorders: A longitudinal observation of pre versus post psychopathological features in a sample of patients with eating disorders and a group of healthy controls.

Giovanni Castellini, Emanuele Cassioli, Eleonora Rossi, Matteo Innocenti, Veronica Gironi, Giulia Sanfilippo, Federica Felciai, Alessio M Monteleone, Valdo Ricca

Open access · bronzeAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in The International journal of eating disorders, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 120 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
120citing papers in PubMed, 14 pooled it
16.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

120 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 227 citations in OpenAlex.

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  10. Effects of COVID-19 lockdown on eating disorders and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2021
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  15. Eating behaviour and symptom trajectories in patients with a history of binge eating disorder during COVID-19 pandemic.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2021
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  20. Mediating Factors and Demographic Disparities Associated With Disordered Eating in University Students During the Era of COVID-19.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2025
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60 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Giovanni CastelliniPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1265-491X
Emanuele CassioliPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3623-7096
Eleonora RossiPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4755-3879
Matteo InnocentiPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Veronica GironiPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Giulia SanfilippoPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Federica FelciaiPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Alessio M MonteleoneDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6786-4458
Valdo RiccaPsychiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
University of Florence · ITUniversity of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivethe aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 epidemic on Eating Disorders (EDs) patients, considering the role of pre-existing vulnerabilities.

method74 patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) or Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and 97 healthy controls (HCs) were evaluated before lockdown (T1) and during lockdown (T2). Patients were also evaluated at the beginning of treatment (T0). Questionnaires were collected to assess psychopathology, childhood trauma, attachment style, and COVID-19-related post-traumatic symptoms.

resultsA different trend between patients and HCs was observed only for pathological eating behaviors. Patients experienced increased compensatory exercise during lockdown; BN patients also exacerbated binge eating. Lockdown interfered with treatment outcomes: the descending trend of ED-specific psychopathology was interrupted during the epidemic in BN patients. Previously remitted patients showed re-exacerbation of binge eating after lockdown. Household arguments and fear for the safety of loved ones predicted increased symptoms during the lockdown. BN patients reported more severe COVID-19-related post-traumatic symptomatology than AN and HCs, and these symptoms were predicted by childhood trauma and insecure attachment. DISCUSSION: COVID-19 epidemic significantly impacted on EDs, both in terms of post-traumatic symptomatology and interference with the recovery process. Individuals with early trauma or insecure attachment were particularly vulnerable.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultCase-Control StudiesCoronavirus InfectionsCOVID-19ExerciseFeeding and Eating DisordersFeeding BehaviorFemaleHumansItalyLongitudinal StudiesMiddle AgedObject AttachmentPandemicsPneumonia, Viralattachment stylechildhood traumaCovid-19eating disordersepidemiclockdownpost-traumatic stress disorderquarantine

Identifiers

PMID32856333
PMCPMC7461528
OpenAlexW3080599908

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.