Impact of eating disorders on paid or unpaid work participation and performance: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective: Eating disorders (EDs), including binge eating disorders (BEDs), bulimia nervosa (BN) and anorexia nervosa (AN), can inflict adverse effects on well-being, daily functioning, and workplace performance, presenting significant occupational, social, and economic challenges. This systematic review seeks to explore the relationship between ED symptomatologies and their impacts on work performance. Methods: This systematic review adhered to The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. Formal methods of critical appraisal for both qualitative and quantitative studies were utilized. Six studies were included. Results: Participants across all studies (n = 20,367) exhibited heightened levels of presenteeism, absenteeism, work productivity impairment, and higher annual burden costs compared to their non-ED counterparts. Conclusion: Impaired decision-making, cognitive inflexibility, and poor executive functioning significantly impact work participation and performance, underscoring the need for workplace policies that reduce stigma and stress, and calls for further research into how environmental factors and interventions affect ED recovery. Level of evidence: Level I, systematic review.