Exploring the impact of Covid-19 on those living with an eating disorder in the UK

Abstract Introduction: During the early stages of the pandemic there was concern raised regarding the impact of Covid-19 on those with eating disorders due to the loss of eating and social routines, disrupted access to food and the increased societal prominence. The primary aim of this study was to establish how individuals with eating disorders in the UK have been affected by the covid-19 pandemic. Method: Using an online mixed methods survey, a total of 1121 participants completed the survey to explore the impact that covid-19 restrictions had on their eating disorder and access to services.Findings: Findings of this survey showed that there were a considerable number of individuals reporting negative impacts on their mental health and well-being, with many reporting the detrimental impact that they felt that this time had on their recovery (87%, n=785). Over a quarter of participants reported that covid-19 had stopped them from accessing help and 80% of participants reported changes to their delivery of care. Of those who receive physical health monitoring as part of their care prior to the pandemic, almost half reported considerable changes to their care.Conclusions: Lessons from this growing evidence should be learned to ensure that we are able to better protect people with eating disorders in future pandemics as well as using these findings to plan service for future demand where individuals’ recovery has been considerably impacted.