Demographic and clinical characteristics of adolescent patients with eating disorders before and during the Covid-19 pandemic

The presentation of EDs in adolescents rose dramatically during the pandemic, prompting a question of if and what changed in characteristics about EDs. Although the nature of the disorder remained largely the same pre-pandemic and during the pandemic, there were some noted demographic and clinical differences. Some of these may be pandemic related - worsening adolescent mental health increased ED prevalence, so return visits were spaced farther apart. Other differences reflect societal changes - a wider racial distribution may represent the increased diversity of the NYC area; increased AAN may represent the increase in overweight patients during the pandemic; the rise in co-morbid anxiety correlates with increased prevalence of mental health issues during the pandemic. Further research needs to be done to address the evolving qualities and characteristics of EDs.