ArticleEuropean eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association2026
Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Psychopathology at the Onset of Eating Disorders.
Article in European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Psychopathology at the Onset of Eating Disorders.European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
14 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivePrevious research has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic worsened eating-disorder (ED) symptoms, but most studies have focused on inpatients and compared only two periods: pre-COVID and the period following the pandemic's onset. Outpatient populations, particularly those with binge eating disorder (BED) and other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED), have been underrepresented. It remains unclear whether the pandemic influenced the clinical presentation at ED onset. This study aimed to examine differences in general and eating-disorder-related psychopathology at first presentation among outpatients with all ED diagnoses before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy.
methodsWe retrospectively reviewed clinical records and assessment data from 400 patients seeking treatment for the first time at a specialised outpatient ED service. Patients were grouped into three periods: pre-lockdown (01.01.2019-10.06.2020), lockdown (11.06.2020-30.09.2021), and post-lockdown (01.10.2021-31.12.2022). These periods were defined to capture the effects of the lockdown while considering the DSM-5 requirement that symptoms persist for at least 3 months to establish a diagnosis. Multivariate analyzes of variance were used to evaluate the effects of period, diagnosis, and their interaction on sociodemographic characteristics, eating-disorder specific symptoms, and general psychopathology.
resultsSignificant differences were observed across diagnoses, including BED and OSFED. During the lockdown, patients exhibited greater concerns regarding dietary restriction, binge eating, and body, weight and shape across diagnostic groups compared with pre-lockdown. The post-lockdown period was associated with a younger age at ED onset and earlier initiation of dieting behaviours.
conclusionsBy distinguishing pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown phases and accounting for the DSM-5 diagnostic timeline, this study extends prior research beyond the conventional pre/post pandemic comparison. The COVID-19 lockdown was linked to more severe eating-disorder specific and anxiety-related symptoms at illness onset in outpatients across diagnoses, while the post-lockdown period was marked by earlier onset and increased disorder-specific concerns.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.