The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented global event in recent history. Beginning with an initial outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the virus spread rapidly across the globe, causing millions of deaths and triggering an unprecedented health, economic, and social crisis. The initial response to the outbreak in many countries was the implementation of social distancing measures, including the closure of schools and businesses, the cancellation of mass events, and the banning of travel. These measures were aimed at reducing the virus' spread and preventing health systems from being overwhelmed by the numerous severe COVID-19 cases. However, these measures also had a devastating economic impact, especially on precarious workers and freelancers, as well as those who were unable to work from home. As the pandemic (also considered a syndemic or synergistic epidemic) dragged on, countries adopted more flexible approaches to dealing with the virus, adopting mitigation measures rather than social distancing measures. These included the use of masks, testing and contact tracing, and the opening of businesses and schools with the implementation of additional safety measures. This paper highlights the social consequences of the pandemic, ultimately arguing that it is a total social fact (from the French fait social total), based on Marcel Mauss' categorization, since it encompassed and impacted all facets of human life.

Eating disorders are complex and have multiple causes, which may be genetic, biological, or psychological. Social factors are also relevant. In today’s societies, mass media and social networks play a fundamental role, acting as risk factors for eating disorders. This chapter analyzes the concept of image, differentiating between certain concepts such as reality, perception, and image. Image and self-image are difficult to differentiate and do not always coincide with the body object; one’s self-image may deteriorate to the point that it no longer coincides with the actual body. The mass media may serve as an instrument for the creation of reality. The images of women that are portrayed, especially in the media, tend to be based on sexist stereotypes that saturate social networks, video games, and movies. Currently, pro-ana and pro-mia websites promote identities based on unhealthy diets, exercise, and purgative practices. Therefore, pro-eating disorder socialization exists on Twitter and thinspiration image share is found on Instagram and other social networks.

Se exponen los resultados de una investigación cualitativa mediante entrevistas en profundidad sobre la percepción del cuerpo que tienen los/las profesionales del Trabajo Social y de la Psicología de las cuatro provincias de la comunidad autónoma de Galicia, que hayan trabajado tanto en el sector público como privado, como elemento que puede influir en los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria. Las entrevistas han sido realizadas a lo largo de los dos últimos años. Esta percepción ha sido analizada como un elemento que influye en los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria. Esta investigación llega a tres conclusiones principales: Primera, el cuerpo es considerado por los profesionales como un instrumento para detener el tiempo cuando surgen problemas con la identidad personal, en especial cuando la paciente es una mujer. Segundo, los/las profesionales perciben cuerpo de sus pacientes como una responsabilidad en abierto conflicto con las percepciones sociales vistas como algo irrealizable, ideales y sometidas a parámetros inalcanzables. Finalmente, la percepción del cuerpo se orienta por imaginarios sociales en los cuales la moral (tabú y pecado) y lo biológico son claramente predominantes.

The phenomenon of suicide has become a significant global concern, claiming over 800,000 lives annually and resulting in millions of suicide attempts worldwide. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, these troubling statistics have worsened, with notable increases in suicidal behavior, especially among vulnerable populations such as the youth, the elderly, and those in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. This paper aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide rates in Spain, using a theoretical ex post facto analysis. Spain has witnessed an alarming rise in suicide rates, particularly among young people, and a disturbing trend of increased suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors. While some studies report no significant change in suicide rates during the pandemic, others point to the exacerbating effects of social isolation, economic instability, and public health measures. This study provides an in-depth examination of the psychosocial consequences of the pandemic on mental health in Spain, emphasizing the urgency of the need to address pre-existing inequalities and implement effective suicide prevention measures. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of gender-sensitive strategies and the need for systemic reforms to ensure better mental healthcare access for all segments of society. To achieve this goal, this paper uses a narrative literature review combined with a theoretical ex post facto analysis to assess the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide patterns in Spain.

Feeding has been subjected to a process of medicalization throughout history that has caused its perception to be assimilated to the intake of nutrients. However, it is necessary to conceive feeding as a total social phenomenon. That is to say, a phenomenon that impregnates food and the practices that surround it with different meanings. It is therefore necessary to understand how certain social dynamics (secularization, rationalization, bureaucratization) have modified the way we feed ourselves and how we interpret food itself. This, in turn, has generated a series of negative meanings that have influenced how we perceive the body and the image of people. The calculability of nutrients and an unrealistic and unattainable image canon for people have been installed. Thus, a social food imaginary has been created based on a whole series of myths that are transmitted through social networks and that produce that the society in which we live has become an obesogenic and lipophobic society. It is therefore necessary to understand how the social imaginary of fat and fatness has been constructed in order to understand how people perceive their body image and how this can be altered.