1. Risk and protective factors for new onset binge eating, low weight, and self-harm symptoms in over 25,000 individuals in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Author
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Helena L Davies, Christopher Hübel, Moritz Herle, Saakshi Kakar, Jessica Mundy, Alicia Peel, Abigail ter Kuile, Johan Zvrskovec, Dina Monssen, Kai Xiang Lim, Molly Rose Davies, Alish Palmos, Yuhao Lin, Gursharan Kalsi, Henry Rogers, Shannon Bristow, Kiran Glen, Chelsea Mika Malouf, Emily J Kelly, Kirstin Lee Purves, Katherine Seaton Young, Matthew Hotopf, Cherie Armour, Andrew Mcintosh, Thalia Catherine Eley, Janet Treasure, and Gerome Breen
- Abstract
Objective: The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with poor mental health, including increases in eating disorder and self-harm symptoms. We investigated risk and protective factors for new onset of these symptoms during the pandemic. Method: Data were from the COVID-19 Psychiatry and Neurological Genetics study and the Repeated Assessment of Mental health in Pandemics Study (n = 45,058). Exposures were socio-demographic characteristics, lifetime psychiatric disorder, and COVID-related variables, including SARS-CoV-2 infection/illness with COVID-19. We identified four sub-samples of participants without pre-pandemic experience of our outcomes: binge eating (n = 18,172), low weight (n = 19,148), suicidal and/or self-harm ideation (n = 12,650), and self-harm (n = 20,266). Participants reported on our outcomes at frequent intervals (fortnightly to monthly). We fitted four logistic regression models to identify factors associated with new onset of our outcomes. Results: Within each subsample, new onset was reported by: 16.9% for binge eating, 8.9% for low weight, 26.6% for suicidal and/or self-harm ideation, and 3.3.% for self-harm. Shared risk factors included having a lifetime psychiatric disorder, not being in paid employment, and higher pandemic worry scores. Conversely, infection with SARS-CoV-2/illness with COVID-19 was linked to lower odds of all outcomes. Other factors were associated with one outcome, such as pandemic-related loneliness with suicidal and/or self-harm ideation. Discussion: Overall, we detected shared risk factors that may drive the comorbidity between eating disorders and self-harm. Subgroups of individuals with these risk factors may require more frequent monitoring during future pandemics.
- Published
- 2022