{"database":"biostudies-literature","file_versions":[],"scores":null,"additional":{"submitter":["Davies HL"],"funding":["Economic and Social Research Council","Medical Research Council","National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)","National Institute for Health and Care Research","Lundbeckfonden","MQ: Transforming Mental Health"],"pagination":["91-107"],"full_dataset_link":["https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9874817"],"repository":["biostudies-literature"],"omics_type":["Unknown"],"volume":["56(1)"],"pubmed_abstract":["<h4>Objective</h4>The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with poor mental health, including increases in eating disorders and self-harm symptoms. We investigated risk and protective factors for the new onset of these symptoms during the pandemic.<h4>Method</h4>Data were from the COVID-19 Psychiatry and Neurological Genetics study and the Repeated Assessment of Mental health in Pandemics Study (n = 36,715). Exposures were socio-demographic characteristics, lifetime psychiatric disorder, and COVID-related variables, including SARS-CoV-2 infection/illness with COVID-19. We identified four subsamples of participants without pre-pandemic experience of our outcomes: binge eating (n = 24,211), low weight (n = 24,364), suicidal and/or self-harm ideation (n = 18,040), and self-harm (n = 29,948). Participants reported on our outcomes at frequent intervals (fortnightly to monthly). We fitted multiple logistic regression models to identify factors associated with the new onset of our outcomes.<h4>Results</h4>Within each subsample, new onset was reported by: 21% for binge eating, 10.8% for low weight, 23.5% for suicidal and/or self-harm ideation, and 3.5% for self-harm. Shared risk factors included having a lifetime psychiatric disorder, not being in paid employment, higher pandemic worry scores, and being racially minoritized. Conversely, infection with SARS-CoV-2/illness with COVID-19 was linked to lower odds of binge eating, low weight, and suicidal and/or self-harm ideation.<h4>Discussion</h4>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.<h4>Public significance</h4>In a sample of 35,000 UK residents, people who had a psychiatric disorder, identified as being part of a racially minoritized group, were not in paid employment, or were more worried about the pandemic were more likely to experience binge eating, low weight, suicidal and/or self-harm ideation, and self-harm for the first time during the pandemic. People with these risk factors may need particular attention during future pandemics to enable early identification of new psychiatric symptoms."],"journal":["The International journal of eating disorders"],"pubmed_title":["Risk and protective factors for new-onset binge eating, low weight, and self-harm symptoms in >35,000 individuals in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic."],"pmcid":["PMC9874817"],"funding_grant_id":["MC_PC_17,217","R276‐2018‐4581","RG94028","RG85445","MR/T027843/1","IS-BRC-1215-20018","NF-SI-0515-10102","MQF20/24"],"pubmed_authors":["Mundy J","Peel AJ","Herle M","Davies MR","Lin Y","Glen K","Young KS","Kakar S","Kalsi G","Malouf CM","Eley TC","McIntosh AM","Bristow S","Rogers HC","Hubel C","Kelly EJ","Breen G","Davies HL","Zvrskovec J","Palmos AB","Hotopf M","Treasure J","Armour C","Lim KX","Purves KL","Ter Kuile AR","Monssen D"],"additional_accession":[]},"is_claimable":false,"name":"Risk and protective factors for new-onset binge eating, low weight, and self-harm symptoms in >35,000 individuals in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic.","description":"<h4>Objective</h4>The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with poor mental health, including increases in eating disorders and self-harm symptoms. We investigated risk and protective factors for the new onset of these symptoms during the pandemic.<h4>Method</h4>Data were from the COVID-19 Psychiatry and Neurological Genetics study and the Repeated Assessment of Mental health in Pandemics Study (n = 36,715). Exposures were socio-demographic characteristics, lifetime psychiatric disorder, and COVID-related variables, including SARS-CoV-2 infection/illness with COVID-19. We identified four subsamples of participants without pre-pandemic experience of our outcomes: binge eating (n = 24,211), low weight (n = 24,364), suicidal and/or self-harm ideation (n = 18,040), and self-harm (n = 29,948). Participants reported on our outcomes at frequent intervals (fortnightly to monthly). We fitted multiple logistic regression models to identify factors associated with the new onset of our outcomes.<h4>Results</h4>Within each subsample, new onset was reported by: 21% for binge eating, 10.8% for low weight, 23.5% for suicidal and/or self-harm ideation, and 3.5% for self-harm. Shared risk factors included having a lifetime psychiatric disorder, not being in paid employment, higher pandemic worry scores, and being racially minoritized. Conversely, infection with SARS-CoV-2/illness with COVID-19 was linked to lower odds of binge eating, low weight, and suicidal and/or self-harm ideation.<h4>Discussion</h4>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.<h4>Public significance</h4>In a sample of 35,000 UK residents, people who had a psychiatric disorder, identified as being part of a racially minoritized group, were not in paid employment, or were more worried about the pandemic were more likely to experience binge eating, low weight, suicidal and/or self-harm ideation, and self-harm for the first time during the pandemic. People with these risk factors may need particular attention during future pandemics to enable early identification of new psychiatric symptoms.","dates":{"release":"2023-01-01T00:00:00Z","publication":"2023 Jan","modification":"2025-05-29T21:30:58.613Z","creation":"2024-11-08T19:42:13.778Z"},"accession":"S-EPMC9874817","cross_references":{"pubmed":["36315390"],"doi":["10.1002/eat.23834"]}}