ADHD in a patient with eating disorder. Case report

Introduction: 15-year-old female referred to outpatient unit after COVID lockdown for binge eating and purging with depressive symptoms and anxiety. Objective(s): To show the importance of a correct diagnosis in an impulsive patient with eating disorder Methods: case report and literature review Results: The patient presents emotional instability with interpersonal difficulties with high fear of rejection. She suffered from fear of gaining weight and desires to lose weight with rejection of her body image. Fluoxetine and lorazepam are started together with low doses of olanzapine. During the follow up she presented a worsening of mood, onset of self-injuries and an episode of suicidal attempt. A biographical examination was performed, expressing a feeling of academic failure with difficulty concentrating and performing simple tasks. As a child she is described as impulsive, with frequent arguments with classmates. CPT III was performed with a high probability of ADHD. Treatment was started with lisdexamfetamine up to 50 mg with good tolerance. From the beginning of the treatment the patient expressed a feeling of improvement in the control of emotions as well as in the management of her impulsivity. There was an improvement in her academic performance with a decrease in self-injury episodes. The patient was able to express improvement in the sense of incapacity she felt. Conclusion(s): This case shows how marked emotional dysregulation and impulsive symptoms improves after diagnosis and subsequent treatment of ADHD, also improving eating symptoms. ADHD is present in eating disorders, especially in those with impulse dyscontrol such as binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa.

Effects of the pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents. review and current scientific evidence of the SARS-COV2 pandemic

IntroductionThe coronavirus crisis has had an impact on the mental health of children and adolescentsObjectivesDetermine how it has affected this population and what mental pathologies are occurringMethodsLiterature bibliographic reviewResultsSchool closures and lockdown have been seen to have produced higher levels of anxiety, anger, and sleep and appetite disruption. On the one hand, the children had more anxiety and regressive behaviors, and the adolescents had more isolation, depressive symptoms and even autolytic ideation. The economic crisis and lockdown have affected the family environment, having reported greater situations of domestic violence and substance use among parents. Studies show a prevalence up to 28-34% of post-traumatic stress symptoms among adolescents. In Spain it has been determined that ¼ children present anxiety and / or depression. Their parents noticed in them greater irritability, less concentration and greater feelings of loneliness There has been an increase in addiction to new technologies. This is partly a method of maintaining social relationships, but prolonged use is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Regarding to patients with mental pathology, they have presented greater tantrums, especially ADHD and ASD, due to the loss of structure and routine.ConclusionsConfinement and fear of COVID have affected mental health of children and adolescents, with anxiety and depression occurring more frequently. Is highlighted the presence of feelings of loneliness among adolescents and the increase in the use of screens. Finally close to 80% of patients who had mental health conditions referred that this crisis had worsed their symtponms

Analysis of the demand for care in a psychiatric emergency room and an acute inpatient unit in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The aim is to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the demand for emergency care and psychiatric admissions during the first month of the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational and cross-sectional study. We reviewed the clinical records of all patients attending the psychiatric emergency room (ER) between March 11th and April 11th, of both 2019 and 2020. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were included in the study. Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test were performed to compare categorical variables, while U Mann-Whitney U test was used for quantitative variables. The level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Analysis were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics. Results: The was a significant decrease in the number of patients attended in the ER. An average of 5.91 (±2.53) patients were treated per day in 2019 compared to 2.41 (±1.81) in 2020 (p<0.001). There was also a significant decrease in the occupancy rate at the inpatient psychiatric unit, with a 91.84% (±7.72) of beds occupied in 2019 and only 58.85% (±13.81) in 2020 (p<0.001). Regarding the percentage of patients admitted after assessment in the ER, there was a significant increase in 2020 compared to the previous year. Conclusions: The demand for care in the psychiatric emergency room and the average bed occupancy have decreased during the first month after the declaration of the pandemic. Fear of contagion may act as a modulator of psychiatric demand. © 2021 Sociedad de Neurologia Psiquiatria y Neurocirugia. All rights reserved.