Eating Disorders and Internalizing/Externalizing Symptoms in Adolescents before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed at assessing the prevalence of eating disorders and symptoms of dieting, food preoccupation, and oral control and internalizing/externalizing problems in a group of adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A sample of N = 813 adolescents (age range = 14-15 years) was recruited in the general population and administered the SCOFF, EAT-26 and YSR questionnaires at two assessment points: before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and during it.

Results

In males and females, the YSR scores at T1 were significantly lower than T2, especially for the subscales of Withdrawn, Somatic complaints, Anxious/depressed, Social problems. As for the EAT-26 scores, adolescents scored significantly lower at T1 for all four subscales of dieting, food preoccupation and oral control. The prevalence of eating disorders among males and females increased respectively from 13.2% to 18.4% and from 17.5 to 25.3 from T1 to T2.

Conclusion

This study confirms previous research showing an increase in eating disorders prevalence and higher psychopathological symptoms both in males and females adolescents during the pandemic.

Keywords:

• Eating disorders
• COVID-19
• psychopathological symptoms
• adolescents
• longitudinal study

Acknowledgments

We thank all the adolescents who accepted to participate in this study.

Data availability statement

Data is available on request to the corresponding author.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.