Mental Health After COVID-19 Death-Related Loss in Individuals With Eating Disorders: A Multi-Country Nested Matched Case-Control Study.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic caused millions of deaths worldwide and significantly impacted people with eating disorders, exacerbating symptoms and limiting access to care. This study examined the association between COVID-19 death-related loss-defined as the death of a family member, friend, or acquaintance due to COVID-19-and mental health among people with preexisting eating disorders in the United States (US), the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Method: Participants with a history of eating disorders completed a baseline survey early in the pandemic (US: N = 511; Netherlands: N = 510; Sweden: N = 982) and monthly (US, the Netherlands) or biannual (Sweden) follow-ups from April 2020 to May 2021.

Examining sex differences in the association between sedentary behavior and cognitive function in bariatric surgery patients.

Background: Obesity is associated with cognitive impairment. A potential contributor to these deficits is sedentary behavior (SB), which is linked to poorer cognitive functioning in other populations. Little is known about the association between SB and cognitive function in bariatric surgery populations.

Perceptions and experiences with eating disorder treatment in the first year of COVID-19: A longitudinal qualitative analysis.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges in accessing and receiving treatment for individuals with eating disorders (EDs). The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of and experiences with ED treatment during the first year of the pandemic among individuals with past and self-reported EDs in the United States.

Methods: Online surveys were administered to adults (N = 510) with a past or current self-reported ED at 13 timepoints between April 2020 and May 2021.

Course and predictors of eating disorder symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and pandemic-related eating disorder concerns among adults with eating disorders during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic and public health mitigation measures have negatively impacted individuals with eating disorders (ED). We evaluated changes in and predictors of ED symptoms, pandemic-related ED concerns, and anxiety symptoms across the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with self-reported EDs in the United States (US), Sweden (SE), and the Netherlands (NL).

Method: Participants in the US (N = 510), SE (N = 982), and NL (N = 510) completed an online survey assessing ED symptoms (binge eating, restriction, compensatory behaviors, and anxiety about being unable to exercise), general anxiety symptoms, and pandemic-related ED concerns about accessing food, lack of structure and social support, being in a triggering environment, and food and treatment costs.

Longer-term impact of COVID-19 among individuals with self-reported eating disorders in the United States, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Objective: We assessed eating disorder (ED) illness status, symptomatology, treatment access, anxiety, and depression in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with a pre-existing ED in the United States (US), the Netherlands (NL), and Sweden (SE).

Methods: Participants completed online surveys in April-July 2020, at the early stage of the pandemic, and one year later. At one-year follow-up, we added questions addressing retrospective changes in ED symptoms, treatment, and anxiety/depression since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing eating disorders in primary care: Understanding screening recommendations and opportunities to improve care.

Objective: For the first time in its history, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) published a recommendation on screening for eating disorders among adolescents and adults in primary care. The current manuscript provides an overview of the USPSTF recommendation, screening principles, and suggestions for clinical and research efforts.

Method: The USPSTF based their recommendations on a rigorous systematic review of the evidence on routine screening for eating disorders.

An exploratory investigation of predictors of outcome in face-to-face and online cognitive-behavioural therapy for bulimia nervosa.

Objective: Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) delivered face-to-face and via the internet reduces bulimia nervosa (BN) symptoms. However, our empirical understanding of factors affecting patient outcomes is limited.

Method: Using data from a randomised, controlled trial comparing internet-based (CBT4BN, n = 78) with face-to-face (CBTF2F, n = 71) group CBT (97% female, M = 28 years), we examined general treatment (across conditions) and modality-specific predictors of end-treatment and 1-year outcomes (abstinence, binge-eating frequency, purging frequency).

Screening for Eating Disorders in Adolescents and Adults: Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Importance: Eating disorders are associated with adverse health and social outcomes.

Objective: To review the evidence on screening for eating disorders in adolescents and adults to inform the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and trial registries through December 19, 2020; surveillance through January 1, 2022.

The legacy of hope summit: a consensus-based initiative and report on eating disorders in the U.S. and recommendations for the path forward.

Background: Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to reach a cross-disciplinary consensus on issues fundamental to the field of eating disorders in the United States (U.S.).

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Is Associated With Increased Hazard for De Novo Alcohol-related Complications and Liver Disease.

Goal: The goal of this study was to determine if bariatric surgeries are associated with de novo alcohol-related complications.

Background: Bariatric surgery is associated with an increased risk of alcohol use disorders. The effect of bariatric surgeries on other alcohol-related outcomes, including liver disease, is understudied.

DSM 5 Lifetime Psychiatric Diagnoses in Two Bariatric Surgery Programs.

Patients presenting for bariatric surgery have been shown to have high rates of psychiatric disorders. These studies have utilized structured interviews using older versions of the DSM. This study examined whether similar lifetime frequencies would be similar using the recent DSM-5.

Screen-detected disordered eating and related traits in a large population sample of females in mainland China: China Health and Nutrition Survey.

Objective: We describe the prevalence and sociodemographic factors associated with screen-detected disordered eating and related traits in a population-based sample of women in China. We also explored prevalence trends over time.

Method: A total of 4,218 females aged 12-50 were sampled from 15 provinces as part of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) in 2015.

Identifying mechanisms that predict weight trajectory after bariatric surgery: rationale and design of the biobehavioral trial.

Bariatric surgery is currently the most efficacious and durable intervention for severe obesity. The most commonly performed procedures in the United States are the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the sleeve gastrectomy, which involve significant anatomic and physiologic alterations that lead to changes in behavior and biology. Unfortunately, many patients experience suboptimal weight loss and/or substantial weight regain.

Identifying research priorities for the study of atypical anorexia nervosa: A Delphi study.

Objective: Individuals meeting all criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN) except that weight falls within or above the normal range despite significant weight loss are categorized as having atypical AN (AAN). Existing research has provided mixed evidence concerning the diagnostic demarcation of AN and AAN. The aim of the present study was to identify research priorities for furthering the understanding of AN and AAN as diagnostic entities.

Weight suppression and weight elevation are associated with eating disorder symptomatology in women age 50 and older: Results of the gender and body image study.

Objective: Weight suppression (WS), the difference between highest past non-pregnancy weight and current weight, predicts negative outcomes in eating disorders, but the impact of WS and related weight constructs are understudied in nonclinical, midlife populations. We examined WS (current weight < highest weight) and weight elevation (WE), the opposite of WS (current weight > lowest weight) and their associations with eating psychopathology in women aged 50+.

Method: Participants were a community-based sample (N = 1,776, M  = 59) who completed demographic and eating psychopathology questions via online survey.

Cost-Effectiveness of Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Bulimia Nervosa: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa (CBT-BN) compared to face-to-face delivery of CBT-BN.

Methods: This study is a planned secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial. Participants were 179 adults (98% female, mean age = 28 years) meeting DSM-IV criteria for bulimia nervosa who were randomized to group face-to-face or group Internet-based CBT-BN for 16 sessions during 20 weeks.

Sweet taste preference in binge-eating disorder: A preliminary investigation.

Research suggests that individuals with high liking for sweets are at increased risk for binge eating, which has been minimally investigated in individuals with binge-eating disorder (BED). Forty-one adults (85% female, 83% white) with binge eating concerns completed a sweet taste test and measures of eating disorder behaviors and food cravings. A subset of participants with BED completed an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT; N=21) and a 24-hour dietary recall (N=26).

A preliminary examination of gut microbiota, sleep, and cognitive flexibility in healthy older adults.

Objectives: Inadequate sleep increases the risk for age-related cognitive decline and recent work suggests a possible role of the gut microbiota in this phenomenon. Partial sleep deprivation alters the human gut microbiome, and its composition is associated with cognitive flexibility in animal models. Given these findings, we examined the possible relationship among the gut microbiome, sleep quality, and cognitive flexibility in a sample of healthy older adults.

Preliminary Evidence for an Association Between the Composition of the Gut Microbiome and Cognitive Function in Neurologically Healthy Older Adults.

Objectives: Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome is implicated in numerous human health conditions. Animal studies have linked microbiome disruption to changes in cognitive functioning, although no study has examined this possibility in neurologically healthy older adults.

Methods: Participants were 43 community-dwelling older adults (50-85 years) that completed a brief cognitive test battery and provided stool samples for gut microbiome sequencing.

Comparative Effectiveness of Treatments for Binge-Eating Disorder: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Psychological and pharmacological interventions for binge-eating disorder have previously demonstrated efficacy (compared with placebo or waitlist control); thus, we aimed to expand that literature with a review of comparative effectiveness. We searched MEDLINE,® EMBASE,® Cochrane Library, Academic OneFile, CINAHL® for binge-eating disorder treatment articles and selected studies using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were sufficient for network meta-analysis comparing two pharmacological interventions; psychological interventions were analysed qualitatively.

The core symptoms of bulimia nervosa, anxiety, and depression: A network analysis.

Bulimia nervosa (BN) is characterized by symptoms of binge eating and compensatory behavior, and overevaluation of weight and shape, which often co-occur with symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, there is little research identifying which specific BN symptoms maintain BN psychopathology and how they are associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Network analyses represent an emerging method in psychopathology research to examine how symptoms interact and may become self-reinforcing.