The study, which focuses on how people with current or previous eating disorders are affected by covid-19, began in the spring of 2020 and consists of questionnaire questions answered by people who have or have had eating disorders.

The questions have been sent out and analyzed in two rounds, during the first and second waves of the pandemic.

According to the analyzes made in relation to the survey results from last summer, the pandemic had created severe psychological strain.

A quarter have developed symptoms

But now that the analyzes have been made after the second wave, the researchers see a clearer impact when it comes to eating disorders.

- The most alarming thing, and which we did not really expect, was that among the people who seemed healthy in May, a quarter had started to feel quite bad and had eating disorder symptoms, says David Clinton.

According to David Clinton, even half of the respondents with a fully developed eating disorder stated that the pandemic had a negative effect on them.

- I think it's because they are very isolated during this time.

That they do not have the type of support they need and that they are often in an environment that is quite triggering for them, says David Clinton.

Inferior treatment

A large proportion of the respondents in the study also state that they have not had any treatment during this period.

And of those who have been treated for their eating disorder, many say it has worked worse because of the pandemic.

The study conducted at the Center for Eating Disorders Innovation, CEDI, at Karolinska Institutet will continue this summer, but already now David Clinton believes that one can see a clear and serious impact of the pandemic on people with an eating disorder.

- Similar studies have been done in the Netherlands and the USA and the results so far are very similar.

I think it is important that both the school, the care and we ordinary fellow human beings prepare for the fact that many with mental diagnoses such as eating disorders will need help when the Corona pandemic is over, says David Clinton.