Family functioning and eating psychopathology in developmental restrictive eating disorders after Covid-19 lockdown

Abstract

Abstract Purpose While the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns on family dynamics and eating behaviors has been widely studied, there is limited and conflicting evidence regarding families of children and adolescents with restrictive eating disorders (EDs). This study examines differences in eating psychopathology and perceptions of family functioning in pediatric patients with anorexia nervosa (AN; restrictive and atypical) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) before and after the pandemic. Methods A total of 640 children and adolescents with restrictive EDs and their parents, assessed from January 2018 to December 2022, were grouped into pre-Covid-19, Covid-19, and post-Covid-19 periods. Measures included the Family Assessment Device, the Eating Disorders Inventory-III, and the Eating Disorders Questionnaire in Childhood. Data were analyzed using ANOVA (p < .05). Results Children and adolescents with AN showed greater difficulties compared to children and adolescents with ARFID both in family functioning and eating psychopathology. In particular, children with AN in the COVID-19 group exhibited higher scores in Affective and Mood Disorders, Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder, Pica, and Selective Eating compared to the pre-Covid-19 group. Adolescents with AN reported worse eating psychopathology in Post-COVID-19 group compared to others. Conclusions Patients with restrictive EDs show more dysfunctional family functioning and greater eating psychopathology after the pandemic compared to preceding periods but results varied by age and diagnosis. These findings highlight the need for diagnosis-specific, tailored interventions to address the evolving clinical and family dynamics in pediatric ED populations. Level of evidence: Level V Evidence obtained from a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Keywords

• Adolescence
• Anorexia nervosa
• ARFID
• Childhood
• Family relationships
• Pandemic