Background: The COVID-19 pandemic experience was different in each country (e.g., prevalence, societal restrictions). There is limited data on eating disorder (ED) diagnosis and service activity trends within Ireland. The aim of this study is to describe the ED referral and hospitalization trends during COVID-19 in Ireland.
Method: Monthly data (2019-2021) from three regional community ED services (two-child and one-adult) were collected. National psychiatric and medical hospitalization data were analyzed. A descriptive and trend analysis was performed.
Results: There was a trend of referrals to community ED services during the COVID-19 pandemic for children (p < .0001) and adults (p = .0019). Albeit the increase in child referrals was evident at an earlier point before adult referrals. There was a trend of a diagnosis for children and adults of anorexia nervosa (p < .0001; p = .0257) and other-specified-feeding-or-eating-disorder (OSFED) respectively (p = .0037; p = .0458). There was no trend in psychiatric co-morbidity. There was a trend of child (p = .0003) not adult (n = 0.1669) psychiatric hospitalization. There was a trend of medical hospitalization for child and adult combined (p < .0001).
Conclusion: This study adds to the growing literature on the association of the COVID-19 pandemic on ED trends and the need for future public health and service provision funding to be allocated for mental health services during periods of international crisis.
Public significance: This study illustrates the referral and hospitalization trend in young persons and adults with an ED in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights that there was a trend of Anorexia Nervosa and OSFED presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; eating disorder; mental health; regional; service activity.
© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Eating Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.