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On-Demand

Rising Eating Disorders and a Stressed Workforce: Lessons From the Pandemic

Marissa Jones, LPC, LMHC, CEDS-C
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Information

Recorded

  • -

Description

The prevalence of eating disorders has steadily increased, rising from 3.5% in 2000 to 7.8% in 2018 and nearly 9% by 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified this trend, heightening symptom severity and comorbidities through isolation, disrupted routines, food insecurity, social media exposure, and loss of control. Simultaneously, healthcare providers faced widespread burnout and turnover, raising concerns about care quality. Alongside these challenges, virtual care expanded rapidly, reshaping treatment delivery. Moving forward, strengthening workforce sustainability, improving infrastructure and supply chains, ensuring financial stability, and rebuilding patient trust will be essential to advancing care and outcomes in the post-pandemic era.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is to increase understanding COVID-19’s impact on the eating disorder population, the healthcare workforce, and systems of care, while equipping participants with strategies to deliver effective, sustainable, high-quality treatment in the post-COVID era.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Describe how COVID-19 reshaped the healthcare workforce, including trends in burnout, turnover, and the expansion of virtual care.

  • Analyze the impact of COVID-19 on individuals with eating disorders due to isolation, food scarcity, social media exposure, and disrupted routines.

  • Identify and apply at least three strategies to adapt clinical practices post-COVID in order to rebuild trust and improve quality of care

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Dietitian
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Nutritionist
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Marissa Jones, LPC, LMHC, CEDS-C
Marissa is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Consultant, holding dual master’s degrees in Community Counseling and Health Care Administration. She has worked in the eating disorder field since 2012 and joined Center for Discovery in 2017. Since then, Marissa has held a range of leadership roles including Program Director, Regional Director, and currently serves as the Vice President of Program Operations, a role she has held for the past two years.

Financially Sponsored By

  • Discovery Behavioral Health
  • Center for Discovery