Eating Disorder and Other Psychiatric Hospitalizations in New Zealand During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Sara J HansenJessica McLayDavid Benjamin MenkesPublished in: The International journal of eating disorders (2024)
Eating disorder hospital presentations increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, while other psychiatric presentations to hospital remained relatively unchanged. Possible drivers include disrupted routines, barriers to healthcare access, altered social networks, and increased social media use. Clinical services require additional resources to manage the increased disease burden, especially in vulnerable pediatric and indigenous populations. Ongoing monitoring will be required to establish the time-course of pandemic-related clinical demand.