Online medical, psychological and nutritional assistance for patients with eating disorders and their parents during the lockdown caused by COVID-19 from March 9th to May 4th, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic severely hit Italy in early 2020, forcing the government to arrange a general lockdown across the country. The condition of forced quarantine, already experienced in China, has led to a worsening of symptoms in subjects already suffering from psychopathology, including Eating Disorders. To avoid this, after the closure of the Service, the Day Hospital of the Regional Center on Eating Disorders of the UO of Child Neuropsychiatry of the Azienda Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi of Bologna has activated an online treatment program aimed at five adolescent patients and their parents. The meetings were conducted by the Psychotherapist, the Child Neuropsychiatrist, the Dietitian and the Family Psychotherapist. During the lockdown, tests were administered to the patients, compared with test administered in the entry, to see if the symptoms related to the eating disorder and general psychopathology had changed. In addition, other tests were administered to both patients and parents with the aim of investigating the dynamics established during quarantine, which measured psychological well-being and general functioning. The observation made it possible to identify five psychological phases that the patients faced, related to eating symptoms, family dynamics and adaptation to the pandemic. The tests did not show significant changes in the psychopathology of the patients, while comparing the results of the tests also administered to the parents, an influence between mother and daughter can be seen, with often overlapping trends in relation to symptoms. The online treatment was effective and satisfactory for both patients and parents, and within the families greater moments of communication, listening and mutual involvement in the life of family members developed while maintaining personal spaces. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Italian) La pandemia COVID-19 ha gravemente colpito l'Italia nei primi mesi del 2020, costringendo il governo a predisporre un lockdown generale in tutto il paese. La condizione di quarantena forzata, gia sperimentata in Cina, ha portato un peggioramento dei sintomi in soggetti gia affetti da psicopatologia, compresi i Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare. Per evitare questo, dopo la chiusura del Servizio, il Day Hospital del Centro Regionale sui Disturbi Alimentari dell'UO di Neuropsichiatria Infantile dell'Azienda Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi di Bologna ha attivato un programma di trattamento online rivolto a cinque pazienti adolescenti e ai loro genitori. Gli incontri sono stati condotti dalla Psicotera-peuta, dalla Neuropsichiatra Infantile, dalla Dietista e dalla Psicoterapeuta della famiglia. Durante il lockdown sono stati somministrati dei test alle pazienti, confrontati con quelli in entrata, per osservare se i sintomi relativi al disturbo alimentare e alla psicopatologia generale si fossero modificati. Inoltre sono stati somministrati altri test sia alle pazienti sia ai genitori con l'obiettivo di indagare le dinamiche instaurate durante la quarantena, che misuravano il benessere psicologico e il funzionamento generale. L'osservazione ha permesso di individuare cinque fasi psicologiche che hanno affrontato le pazienti, legate alla sintomatologia alimentare, alle dinamiche familiari e all'adattamento alla pandemia. I test non hanno riportato cambiamenti significativi nella psicopatologia delle pazienti, mentre confrontando i risultati dei test somministrati anche ai genitori si evince un'influenza fra madre e figlia, con andamenti spesso sovrapponibili relativamente ai quadri sintomatici. Il trattamento online e stato efficacie e soddisfacente sia per le pazienti sia per i genitori e all'interno delle famiglie si sonosviluppati maggiori momenti di comunicazione, ascolto, coinvolgimento reciproco nella vita dei familiari pur mantenendo gli spazi personali. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Self-guided online treatment of disturbed grief, posttraumatic stress, and depression in adults bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This randomized-waitlist controlled trial is the first study examining short-term effects of a self-guided online grief-specific cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in reducing early persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression symptoms in adults bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Sixty-five Dutch adults, bereaved at least three months earlier during the pandemic, with clinically-relevant PCBD, PTSD, and/or depression symptoms, were allocated to a treatment (n = 32) or waitlist condition (n = 33). Telephone interviews were conducted to assess PCBD, PTSD, and depression symptoms (using validated instruments) at baseline, post-treatment, and post-waiting period. Participants received an eight-week self-guided online grief-specific CBT including exposure, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral activation assignments. Analyses of covariance were performed. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that people in the intervention condition showed significantly lower PCBD (d = 0.90), PTSD (d = 0.71), and depression (d = 0.57) symptom-levels post-treatment relative to waitlist controls post-waiting, while taking baseline symptom-levels and use of professional psychological co-intervention into account. CONCLUSIONS: The online CBT proved to be an effective intervention, reducing PCBD, PTSD, and depression symptoms. Pending replication of these findings, early online interventions may be widely implemented in practice to improve treatments for distressed bereaved people.

Online treatment of persistent complex bereavement disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression symptoms in people who lost loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial and a controlled trial.

Background: Losing a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic is a potentially traumatic loss that may result in symptoms of persistent complex bereavement disorder (PCBD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. To date, grief-specific cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) has mostly been delivered through individual face-to-face formats, while studies have shown that online treatment also yields promising results. Offering treatment online is now more than ever relevant during the pan demic and may offer important benefits compared with face-to-face CBT, such as lower costs and higher accessibility. Our expectation is that grief-specific online CBT is effective in reducing PCBD, PTSD, and depression symptoms. Objective: Our aim is to evaluate the short-term and long-term effectiveness of grief-specific online CBT in reducing PCBD, PTSD, and depression symptom-levels for adults who lost a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: This study consists of two parts. In part 1, a two-armed (unguided online CBT versus waitlist controls) randomized controlled trial will be conducted. In part 2, a two-armed (guided online CBT versus unguided online CBT) controlled trial will be conducted. Symptoms of PCBD, PTSD, and depression will be assessed via telephone interviews at pre-treatment/pre-waiting period, post-treatment/post-waiting period, and six months post-treatment. Potential participants are people who lost a loved one at least three months earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic with clinically relevant levels of PCBD, PTSD, and/or depression. Analysis of covariance and multilevel modelling will be performed. Discussion: This is one of the first studies examining the effectiveness of online grief-specific CBT. More research is needed before implementing online grief-specific CBT into clinical practice.

Antecedentes: Perder a un ser querido durante la pandemia de COVID-19 es una pérdida potencialmente traumática que puede resultar en síntomas de trastorno de duelo complejo persistente (PCBD en su sigla en inglés), trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) y depresión. Hasta la fecha, la terapia cognitivo-conductual (TCC) específica para el duelo se ha proporcionado principalmente a través de formatos individuales cara a cara, mientras que los estudios han demostrado que el tratamiento en línea también produce resultados prometedores. Ofrecer tratamiento en línea es ahora más relevante que nunca durante la pandemia y puede ofrecer importantes beneficios en comparación con la TCC presencial, como menores costos y mayor accesibilidad. Nuestra expectativa es que la TCC en línea específica para el duelo sea eficaz para reducir el PCBD, el TEPT y los síntomas de depresión.Objetivo: Nuestro objetivo es evaluar la efectividad a corto y largo plazo de la TCC en línea específica para el duelo en la reducción de los niveles de PCBD, TEPT y síntomas de depresión en adultos que perdieron a un ser querido durante la pandemia de COVID-19.Método: Este estudio consta de dos partes. En la parte 1, se llevará a cabo un ensayo controlado aleatorio de dos brazos (TCC en línea no guiado versus controles con la lista de espera). En la parte 2, se llevará a cabo un ensayo controlado de dos brazos (TCC en línea guiada versus TCC en línea no guiada). Los síntomas de PCBD, TEPT y depresión se evaluarán mediante entrevistas telefónicas en el período de pretratamiento/pre-espera, post-tratamiento/post-período de espera y seis meses post-tratamiento. Los participantes potenciales son personas que perdieron a un ser querido al menos tres meses antes durante la pandemia de COVID-19 con niveles clínicamente relevantes de PCBD, TEPT y/o depresión. Se realizarán análisis de covarianza y modelado multinivel.Discusión: Este es uno de los primeros estudios que examinan la efectividad de la TCC en línea específica para el duelo. Se necesita más investigación antes de implementar la TCC en línea específica para el duelo en la práctica clínica.

Efficacy of the FIBROWALK Multicomponent Program Moved to a Virtual Setting for Patients with Fibromyalgia during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Proof-of-Concept RCT Performed Alongside the State of Alarm in Spain.

FIBROWALK is a multicomponent program including pain neuroscience education, therapeutic exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness training that has recently been found to be effective in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). This RCT started before the COVID-19 pandemic and was moved to a virtual format (i.e., online videos) when the lockdown was declared in Spain. This study is aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a virtual FIBROWALK compared to Treatment-As-Usual (TAU) in patients with FM during the first state of alarm in Spain. A total of 151 patients with FM were randomized into two study arms: FIBROWALK plus TAU vs. TAU alone. The primary outcome was functional impairment. Secondary outcomes were kinesiophobia, anxiety and depressive symptomatology, and physical functioning. Differences between groups at post-treatment assessment were analyzed using Intention-To-Treat (ITT) and completer approaches. Baseline differences between clinical responders and non-responders were also explored. Statistically significant improvements with small-to-moderate effect sizes were observed in FIBROWALK+TAU vs. TAU regarding functional impairment and most secondary outcomes. In our study, the NNT was 5, which was, albeit modestly, indicative of an efficacious intervention. The results of this proof-of-concept RCT preliminarily support the efficacy of virtual FIBROWALK in patients with FM during the Spanish COVID-19 lockdown.

An International Survey of the Concept of Effective Psychodynamic Treatment During the Pandemic.

Introduction: Most psychotherapists had no choice during the COVID-19 pandemic but to offer teletherapy in order to provide needed treatment. Several psychoanalytic theorists wondered if the very concept of treatment would change without an embodied relationship in an office setting. Methods: To attempt to understand the current concept of effective psychodynamic treatment in the new norm of teletherapy, we surveyed practitioners from 56 countries and regions who remotely treated patients psychodynamically during the beginning months of the pandemic. We asked the practitioners to rank six factors felt to be important to psychodynamic treatment: use of the couch during sessions, session in-office or via teletherapy, cultural similarity between therapist and patient, number of sessions a week, patient factors (motivation, insightfulness, and high functioning) and therapist factors (empathy, warmth, wisdom, and skillfulness). Results: We received 1,490 survey responses. As predicted, we found that the therapist and patient variables were considered much more important (both tied as highest rankings) to effective treatment than any of the other variables, including if the therapy was in-office or by teletherapy. Discussion: Psychodynamic practitioners worldwide confirmed that the empathy, warmth, wisdom, and skillfulness of the therapist and the motivation, insightfulness, and level of functioning of the patient are most important to treatment effectiveness regardless if the treatment is remote or embodied.

Virtual Online Home-Based Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic for Ultra-Orthodox Young Women With Eating Disorders.

Background: With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need arose to maintain treatment continuity for religious Jewish Ultra-Orthodox young women with eating disorders (EDs) previously hospitalized in the ED department at the Ultra-Orthodox "Mayanei Hayeshua" medical center in Israel. This need led to the development of home-based online treatment channels, previously unfamiliar, and unaccepted in this population. The implementation of this model had to take into consideration many of the difficulties inherent in the use of online treatment in Jewish Ultra-Orthodox mental health patients. Aims: We sought to investigate our online home-based treatment model implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in previously hospitalized young Ultra-Orthodox women with EDs. Method: We briefly review the literature on: (1) The Jewish Israeli Ultra-Orthodox culture; (2) Young women in Ultra-Orthodox society; and (3) EDs in Jewish Israeli Ultra-Orthodox women. We then present the inpatient ED department for Ultra-Orthodox young women and describe the online treatment model adapted to this population during the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight the difficulties, dilemmas, and advantages of our online model with the description of three patients. Findings: Online therapy can serve as a barrier to treatment in some cases, due to physical (lack of suitable online devices except phones), familial (over-crowded families), and religious circumstances, as well as because of the patients' reluctance to take part in this treatment. In other cases, virtual home-based treatment can lead to a positive change. This may be the case in patients who find the distancing online model suitable for them, and in parents who are committed to treatment, using their greater physical and emotional presence at home during the COVID-19 pandemic for the good if their ill-daughters. Discussion: This paper highlights the difficulties and possibilities inherent in a virtual home-based treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic for Ultra-Orthodox young women previously hospitalized because of an ED. This model can be effective for some patients and families if undertaken by a multidisciplinary team that is not only knowledgeable about the treatment of EDs and the use of online strategies but also knowledgeable and culturally sensitive to the specific needs and codes of Ultra-Orthodox populations.

Practical guidelines for online Narrative Exposure Therapy (e-NET) - a short-term treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder adapted for remote delivery.

Background: Online therapy has become increasingly desirable and available in recent years, with the current COVID-19 pandemic acting as a catalyst to develop further protocols enabling therapists to conduct online treatment safely and efficaciously. Offering online treatment potentially means that treatments are available to clients who would otherwise have no access, closing the gap in the provision of mental health services worldwide. Objective: This paper focuses on practical guidelines using online Narrative Exposure Therapy (e-NET). It aims to be an addition to the general manual of NET to enable therapists to deliver online treatment. The face-to-face version of NET is a well-known short-term and evidence-based treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder; e-NET is currently being tested in several additional trials. Methods: The differences between NET and e-NET are elaborated and depicted in detail. Results: Difficulties encountered in e-NET delivery, e.g. confidentiality, dealing with interruptions, comorbid symptoms among others, are similar to those that occur during face to face interventions but the solutions have to be adapted. Dissociation is often regarded as a challenge in face-to-face treatment, and requires particular attention within the online setting. Therefore, tools for addressing dissociation in this particular setting are presented. Conclusions: These practical guidelines show the advantages as well as the challenges therapists face when conducting e-NET. They aim to empower therapists working with trauma clients to conduct e-NET confidently and safely.

Antecedentes: La terapia online se ha vuelto deseable y disponible de forma creciente recientemente, con la actual pandemia del COVID-19 actuando como un catalizador para desarrollar protocolos permitiendo a los terapeutas a aplicar tratamiento online de forma segura y eficaz. Ofrecer tratamiento online significa que potencialmente los tratamientos están disponibles para los clientes que no tendrían acceso de otra forma, reduciendo la brecha en la provisión de los servicios de salud mental alrededor del mundo.Objetivo: Este artículo se centra en las guías prácticas usando la Terapia de Exposición Narrativa online (e-NET). Este busca ser una adición al manual general de NET para facilitar que los terapeutas entreguen tratamiento online. La versión presencial del NET es un tratamiento bien conocido basado en la evidencia y de corto plazo para el tratamiento del trastorno de estrés postraumático; e-NET está actualmente siendo evaluado en varios ensayos adicionales.Métodos: Las diferencias entre NET y e-NET están elaboradas y se describen en detalle.Resultados: Las diferencias encontradas en la entrega del e-NET, por ej. Confidencialidad, manejo de interrupciones, síntomas comórbidos, entre otros, son similares a aquellos que ocurren durante las intervenciones presenciales, pero las soluciones tienen que ser adaptadas. La disociación es frecuentemente mencionada como un desafío en el tratamiento presencial, y requiere de particular atención con el contexto online. Por lo tanto, se presentan herramientas para abordar la disociación en este contexto particular.Conclusiones: Estas guías practicas muestran las ventajas como también los desafíos que los terapeutas enfrentan cuando aplican e-NET. Ellas buscan empoderar a los terapeutas para el trabajo con clientes que han experimentado trauma para implementar e-NET de forma confidencial y segura.

Integration of Online Treatment Into the "New Normal" in Mental Health Care in Post-COVID-19 Times: Exploratory Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated an immediate and large-scale uptake of online treatment for mental health care. However, there is uncertainty about what the "new normal" in mental health care will be like in post-COVID-19 times. To what extent will the experiences gained during the pandemic influence a sustainable adoption and implementation of online mental health care treatment in the future? OBJECTIVE: In this paper, we aim to formulate expectations with regard to the sustainability of online mental health care after COVID-19. METHODS: In an interview study, 11 mental health care professionals were asked about their experiences and expectations for the future. Participants were recruited from a mental health care organization in the Netherlands. The interviews took place between April 7-30, 2020, at the peak of the COVID-19 crisis in the Netherlands. The data were analyzed using a thematic coding method. RESULTS: From the interviews, we learn that the new normal in mental health care will most likely consist of more blended treatments. Due to skill enhancement and (unexpected) positive experiences with online treatment, an increase in adoption is likely to take place. However, not all experiences promise a successful and sustainable upscaling of online treatment in the future. Mental health care professionals are learning that not all clients are able to benefit from this type of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Sustainable upscaling of online mental health care requires customized solutions, investments in technology, and flexibility of mental health care providers. Online treatment could work for those who are open to it, but many factors influence whether it will work in specific situations. There is work to be done before online treatment is inherently part of mental health care.

Access to evidence-based care for eating disorders during the COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced an abrupt change in the delivery of clinical services, including for individuals with an eating disorder. We present this Virtual Issue as a resource for the eating disorder community to showcase research published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders that provides information on effective strategies to help address the challenges arising from COVID-19-related disruptions. Articles included describe original research or systematic reviews on obstacles to health services use and strategies to improve access to care; technological tools to provide or enhance interventions; patients' and clinicians' attitudes or perspectives on using digital tools for clinical care; factors influencing therapeutic alliance; and ideas for improving reach and uptake of digital interventions. We hope that readers will find ways to observe and record their own experiences during this global crisis; the experiences of people at risk for developing or exhibiting an eating disorder; and the experiences of those who care for people with an eating disorder. These lived experiences will be invaluable in formulating hypotheses for future studies in service of advancing the understanding of eating disorders and improving interventions and policies for reducing the burden of suffering attributable to eating disorders.