The Long-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Presentations to a Specialist Child and Adolescent Eating Disorder Program

Aim Explore the impact of COVID-19 on numbers and clinical profile of Eating Disorder (ED) presentations to a specialist ED program pre- and during COVID-19. Methods Retrospective chart review of referrals pre- COVID-19 (January 2018 - February 2020) and during COVID-19 (March 2020 - August 2021) were compared. Results 128 youth were assessed with significantly higher rates of referrals each month during COVID-19 compared to pre- COVID-19 (3.78 vs. 2.31, p = 0.02). Youth referred during COVID-19 showed a higher rate of % Ideal Body Weight (IBW) loss (4.8% = vs. 2.6%, p = < 0.001) and had a shorter duration of illness pre-referral (4.8 months vs. 7.4 months, p = 0.001). Fewer youth during COVID- 19 (19% vs. 43%, p = 0.011) were prescribed psychotropic medication. Many youth (80%), self-declared COVID-19 as a contributory factor in the development of their ED. Conclusion This study supports the growing consensus of a COVID-19 specific impact on ED services with higher rates of referrals, youth presenting with a faster pace of weight loss and earlier referral to specialist services. Whether this represents a true increase in EDs or an overall increase in CAMHS referrals with a faster transfer to ED services requires further exploration.