Psychopathology of Eating Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Psychopathology of Eating Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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Understanding the relationship between psychological illnesses and their circumstances is crucial for a better response against the disease. This is because mental illnesses related to behavioral disorders are usually interrelated with various stimuli and factors that could either stimulate or aggravate such an illness. In this article, the author would like to focus on the psychopathology of eating disorders in relation to current news about the illness. Specifically, the analysis would revolve around Noguchi's (2020) article entitled Eating Disorders Thrive in Anxious Times, And Pose a Lethal Threat. All in all, the author believes that by looking deeper into the psychopathology of eating disorders, a better response towards the illness could be made through collective and personal approaches.
Article Summary
Noguchi wrote the article (2020) focused on the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Americans already suffering from eating disorders. To start with, the author initially focused on an interview with Stephanie Parker, who has had suffered (albeit unnoticeably) from eating disorders for most of her life. In her interview, she noted how the lockdowns and the anxiety brought about by the current pandemic have made her eating behaviors worse. At times, she noted how she would not even touch her food since she feels overanxious about whether it is safe. Accordingly, Noguchi also cited the recent trends in eating disorders during the advent of the pandemic. For instance, it was found out that "hotline calls to the National Eating Disorders Association are up 70-80% in recent months" (Noguchi, 2020). Additionally, the author also cited another study done by the International Journal of Eating Disorders whereby it was found out that "62% of people in the U.S. with anorexia experienced worsening symptoms as the pandemic hit."
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are some of the most common behavioral disorders from the DSM-5 criteria. The two common types of these disorders include; (1) anorexia nervosa and (2) bulimia nervosa. On the one hand, anorexia nervosa was said to focus on the restriction of food intake, which is usually caused by the individual's desire to maintain a low weight and is characterized by an "intense fear of fatness or disturbing experience of one's body weight/shape. On the other hand, the general description of bulimia nervosa refers to recurrent and regular episodes of "binge eating behaviors" that is usually accompanied by compensatory behaviors in an effort to prevent such episodes from increasing one's weight.
One important consideration for eating disorders is the 'triggers' that can cause either food-restriction or being-eating. In one study done by Wolfe et al. (2009; as cited by Policy, Herman, & Boivin, 2016), the authors noted that some of the common triggers of binge eating episodes include hunger, depersonalization, negative emotions, and even dietary restraint, among others. Additionally, other studies also show that both binge-eating, food-purging, and intake-restraint behaviors could also be caused by stress, abstinence-violation, and the presence of 'forbidden food, among others.
Eating Disorders and Other Illnesses
Another essential consideration in eating disorders' psychopathology is other psychiatric disorders, whether precedent, concurrent or subsequent to the said episode. For example, one study was done by Hudson et al. (1983) shows that the "lifetime prevalence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD) is about 30% and 2.5-3% for those with eating disorders and ordinary individuals, respectively. Additionally, the same study has shown that OCD is about three times less common for those already suffering from bulimia nervosa than anorexia nervosa.
Stress also plays a crucial factor in the psychopathology of eating disorders. In one study done by Monteleone et al. (2020), the authors found out that stress-induced anxiety is increased for people suffering from eating disorders. Conversely, stress-induced anxiety is also a risk factor that worsens eating behaviors, which suggests that these kinds of behaviors and stress create a cycle that could worsen both of these instances in the individual suffering from them.
Social Factors influencing Eating Disorders