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Online group psychotherapy for patients with binge eating disorder during COVID-19 emergency

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

F. Focà*
Affiliation:
Istituto Di Psichiatria E Psicologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, roma, Italy
F.R. Santucci
Affiliation:
Istituto Di Psichiatria E Psicologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, roma, Italy
S. Ferretti
Affiliation:
Istituto Di Psichiatria E Psicologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, roma, Italy
L. Rinaldi
Affiliation:
Istituto Di Psichiatria E Psicologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, roma, Italy
G. Sani
Affiliation:
Istituto Di Psichiatria E Psicologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, roma, Italy
L. Janiri
Affiliation:
Istituto Di Psichiatria E Psicologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, roma, Italy
D.P.R. Chieffo
Affiliation:
Istituto Di Psichiatria E Psicologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli - IRCCS, roma, Italy
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

On March 13th 2020, in execution of the Law Decree 14/2020 regarding the reorganization of National Health Care related to COVID-19 emergency, all non-urgent outpatient healthcare services were suspended in Italy. The present work describes remote support and online group psychotherapy set in motion during COVID-19 emergency for outpatients with Binge Eating Disorder.

Objectives

Aim of the present work is to describe and evaluate online support and group psychotherapy for outpatients with Binge Eating Disorder during lockdown due to COVID-19 emergency. Outcomes were evaluated by remote administration of questionnaires.

Methods

20 outpatients with Binge Eating Disorder, treated by psychotherapists of Hospital Psychology Unit in Psychiatry Day Hospital of an Italian General Hospital, received remote support by phone calls and online group psychotherapy from march to may 2020. During the first two weeks, patients were supported via phone calls. From the third week on, they took part to online group psychotherapy sessions, held every week at the same day and time. Pre-post remote administration of Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) and the Questionnaire of Eating Behaviours (Scheda dei Comportamenti Alimentari, SCA) was used to evaluate outcomes. Data were analyzed by Student’s t-test.

Results

No significant difference was found, thus indicating stability of symptomatology.

Conclusions

Lockdown was a highly stressful period, in which many people lost control on eating behaviours and those with Binge Eating Disorder were expected to have an exacerbation of symptoms. Remote support and online group psychotherapy proved effective in protecting patients from a possible aggravation of their condition.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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