The current COVID-19 pandemic has created a global context likely to increase eating disorder (ED) risk and symptoms, decrease factors that protect against EDs, and exacerbate barriers to care. Three pathways exist by which this pandemic may exacerbate ED risk. One, the disruptions to daily routines and constraints to outdoor activities may increase weight and shape concerns, and negatively impact eating, exercise, and sleeping patterns, which may in turn increase ED risk and symptoms.Relatedly, the pandemic and accompanying social restrictions may deprive individuals of social support and adaptive coping strategies, thereby potentially elevating ED risk and symptoms by removing protective factors. Two, increased exposure to ED-specific or anxiety-provoking media, as well as increased reliance on video conferencing, may increase ED risk and symptoms. Three, fears of contagion may increase ED symptoms specifically related to health concerns, or by the pursuit of restrictive diets focused on increasing immunity. In addition, elevated rates of stress and negative affect due to the pandemic and social isolation may also contribute to increasing risk. Evaluating and assessing these factors are key to better understanding the impact of the pandemic on ED risk and recovery and to inform resource dissemination and targets.
Objective-The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is designed primarily as a clinical tool. Yet high rates of diagnostic "crossover" among the anorexia nervosa subtypes and bulimia nervosa may reflect problems with the validity of the current diagnostic schema, thereby limiting its clinical utility. This study was designed to examine diagnostic crossover longitudinally in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa to inform the validity of the DSM-IV-TR eating disorders classification system.Method-A total of 216 women with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa were followed for 7 years; weekly eating disorder symptom data collected using the Eating Disorder Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Examination allowed for diagnoses to be made throughout the follow-up period.Results-Over 7 years, the majority of women with anorexia nervosa experienced diagnostic crossover: more than half crossed between the restricting and binge eating/purging anorexia nervosa subtypes over time; one-third crossed over to bulimia nervosa but were likely to relapse into anorexia nervosa. Women with bulimia nervosa were unlikely to cross over to anorexia nervosa.Conclusions-These findings support the longitudinal distinction of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa but do not support the anorexia nervosa subtyping schema.With the preparation for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders under way, the validity of the DSM-IV-TR classification system for eating disorders has been called into question (1). In the current diagnostic system, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are recognized as full syndrome eating disorders with specific criteria sets. DSM is designed to serve primarily as a clinical tool, providing "clear descriptions of diagnostic categories in order to enable clinicians and investigators to diagnose, communicate about, study, and treat people with various mental disorders" (DSM-IV-TR, p. xxxvii). Yet the high rates of diagnostic "crossover," such as movement from anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa, may reflect problems with the validity of the current diagnostic schema for eating disorders, thereby limiting its utility.
At 22 years, approximately two-thirds of females with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa were recovered. Recovery from bulimia nervosa happened earlier, but recovery from anorexia nervosa continued over the long term, arguing against the implementation of palliative care for most individuals with eating disorders.
Physicians treating patients with anorexia nervosa should carefully assess patterns of alcohol use during the course of care because one third of women who had alcoholism and died had no history of alcohol use disorder at intake.
OBJECTIVE -To determine whether insulin restriction increases morbidity and mortality in women with type 1 diabetes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-This is an 11-year follow-up study of women with type 1 diabetes. A total of 234 women (60% of the original cohort) participated in the follow-up. Mean age was 45 years and mean diabetes duration was 28 years at follow-up. Mean BMI was 25 kg/m 2 and mean A1C was 7.9%. Measures of diabetes self-care behaviors, diabetesspecific distress, fear of hypoglycemia, psychological distress, and eating disorder symptoms were administered at baseline. At follow-up, mortality data were collected through state and national databases. Follow-up data regarding diabetes complications were gathered by selfreport.RESULTS -Seventy-one women (30%) reported insulin restriction at baseline. Twenty-six women died during follow-up. Based on multivariate Cox regression analysis, insulin restriction conveyed a threefold increased risk of mortality after controlling for baseline age, BMI, and A1C. Mean age of death was younger for insulin restrictors (45 vs. 58 years, P Ͻ 0.01). Insulin restrictors reported higher rates of nephropathy and foot problems at follow-up. Deceased women had reported more frequent insulin restriction (P Ͻ 0.05) and reported more eating disorder symptoms (P Ͻ 0.05) at baseline than their living counterparts.CONCLUSIONS -Our data demonstrate that insulin restriction is associated with increased rates of diabetes complications and increased mortality risk. Mortality associated with insulin restriction appeared to occur in the context of eating disorder symptoms, rather than other psychological distress. We propose a screening question appropriate for routine diabetes care to improve detection of this problem.
These results may explain the long-term efficacy of interpersonal therapy for bulimia nervosa and suggest that focused body image work during relapse prevention may enhance long-term recovery from eating disorders.
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