Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced adolescent mental health, particularly contributing to increased presentations of eating disorders (EDs). This study investigates how referral patterns, diagnostic profiles, and comorbidities changed among adolescents in Türkiye before and during the pandemic. A retrospective chart review was conducted at Ankara City Hospital, including adolescents aged 10–18 years who were referred for ED-related concerns between September 2019 and August 2021. The data were grouped into pre-pandemic (6 months) and pandemic (18 months) periods. Demographics, diagnostic categories, psychiatric comorbidities, and referral trends were examined. Of the 176 total cases, 87.5% were referred during the pandemic. The average monthly referral rate rose by 133%, from 3.67 to 8.56 cases. Most patients were female (93.2%), and the average age was 15.1 years. The majority of diagnoses fell under OSFED (69.6%), followed by anorexia nervosa (24.4%) and bulimia nervosa (5.7%). While comorbid depression and anxiety were commonly observed before the pandemic, their rates were lower during the pandemic period, which may reflect pandemic-specific stressors and referral patterns. During the pandemic period, the number of ED referrals was more than twice as high as before the pandemic, accompanied by differences in the complexity and comorbidity profiles of referred cases. These findings underscore the urgency of enhancing early detection, educator awareness, and service accessibility—including telehealth interventions—to meet the growing demand and support adolescent mental health, both during crises and in long-term service planning. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a big impact on teenagers’ mental health, especially when it comes to eating disorders (EDs). In this study, we looked at medical records from adolescents aged 10–18 who were referred to Ankara City Hospital for eating disorder concerns between September 2019 and August 2021. We compared the six months before the pandemic with the first 18 months of the pandemic. We found that ED referrals more than doubled during the pandemic, increasing by 133%. Most of the referred patients were girls, and the average age was 15. The most common diagnosis was OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders), followed by anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Interestingly, even though depression and anxiety often occur with EDs, we saw these conditions less often during the pandemic. This may reflect pandemic-specific stressors shaping clinical presentation, rather than earlier intervention or any causal link between untreated EDs and comorbidities. The rise in referrals during the pandemic highlights growing demand for clinical services and the importance of better awareness and early recognition within healthcare and educational settings, ensuring that adolescents with emerging symptoms can access timely support. These findings provide lessons that can be applied beyond the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of early recognition, service accessibility, and the integration of telehealth approaches into routine adolescent mental health care.
Öğütlü et al. (Sat,) studied this question.