ABSTRACT
A large number of patients with COVID-19 will suffer from long-term smell and taste disorders (STD). These STD symptoms could have a significant impact on patients with an eating disorder (ED). To highlight this issue, a case is presented of a patient with bulimia nervosa who experienced COVID-19-relate STD symptoms. Clinicians should reassess patients with an ED who suffer from COVID-19 with STD symptomatology and potentially redirect treatment. More research is needed on STD symptoms in patients with an ED to improve our knowledge on the role of smell and taste in disordered eating behaviors and improve treatment guidelines.
Subject(s)
Bulimia Nervosa , COVID-19 , Sexually Transmitted Diseases , Bulimia Nervosa/complications , COVID-19/complications , Humans , Sexually Transmitted Diseases/complications , Smell , Taste , Taste Disorders/etiologyABSTRACT
IntroductionPreliminary results indicate that COVID-19 lockdown measures could lead to an increase in eating disorder pathology. However, some patients could be more vulnerable to experience such an increase than others. The reason why some patients are more susceptible to the impact of lockdown measures is still not known.ObjectivesTo analyze the impact of the Belgian COVID-19 lockdown measures on the surroundings, social context, negative affect (NA), positive affect (PA) and binge eating frequency of patients with bulimia nervosa (BN).MethodsThe data of 15 female patients with BN from an ongoing experience sampling method study were analyzed. Mixed effects models compared surroundings, social context, NA, PA and binge eating before and after the implementation of the lockdown measures.ResultsAfter the implementation of the lockdown measures, significant changes in surroundings and social context were found as well as an increase in NA (p < 0.001) and decrease in PA (p = 0.015). Patients who experienced an increase in binge eating frequency also experienced a stronger increase in NA (p = 0.012) and decrease in PA (p = 0.026) after the lockdown measures were implemented.ConclusionsFuture research should also look at changes in surroundings, social context, affect and how these interact with factors such as personality traits and coping styles when investigating why some patients are more susceptible to the negative effects of lockdown measures than others.