TY - JOUR
T1 - 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
AU - Davies, Helena L
AU - Hübel, Christopher
AU - Herle, Moritz
AU - Kakar, Saakshi
AU - Mundy, Jessica
AU - Peel, Alicia J
AU - Ter Kuile, Abigail R
AU - Zvrskovec, Johan
AU - Monssen, Dina
AU - Lim, Kai Xiang
AU - Davies, Molly R
AU - Palmos, Alish B
AU - Lin, Yuhao
AU - Kalsi, Gursharan
AU - Rogers, Henry C
AU - Bristow, Shannon
AU - Glen, Kiran
AU - Malouf, Chelsea Mika
AU - Kelly, Emily J
AU - Purves, Kirstin L
AU - Young, Katherine S
AU - Hotopf, Matthew
AU - Armour, Cherie
AU - McIntosh, Andrew M
AU - Eley, Thalia C
AU - Treasure, Janet
AU - Breen, Gerome
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) BioResource (RG94028, RG85445), NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (IS‐BRC‐1215‐20018), HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency (COM/5516/18), MRC Mental Health Data Pathfinder Award (MC_PC_17,217), and the National Centre for Mental Health funding through Health and Care Research Wales. The RAMP study is supported in part by the King's Together Multi and Interdisciplinary Research Scheme (Rapid COVID‐19 call, Round 1; Round 2). Helena Davies and Alicia Peel acknowledge funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of a PhD studentship. Dr Hübel acknowledges funding from Lundbeckfonden (R276‐2018‐4581). Dr Herle is funded by a fellowship from the Medical Research Council UK (MR/T027843/1). Jessica Mundy acknowledges funding from the Lord Leverhulme Charitable Grant. Kai Xiang Lim acknowledges funding from King's International Postgraduate Research Scholarship. The RAMP study is supported in part by the King's Together Multi and Interdisciplinary Research Scheme (Rapid COVID‐19 call, Round 1; Round 2). Dr Young acknowledges funding from MQ; Transforming Mental Health (MQF20/24). Johan Zvrskovec and Abigail ter Kuile acknowledge funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
Funding Information:
Economic and Social Research Council; HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency, Grant/Award Number: COM/5516/18; King's International Postgraduate Research Scholarship; Lord Leverhulme Charitable Grant; Lundbeckfonden, Grant/Award Number: R276‐2018‐4581; Medical Research Council UK, Grant/Award Number: MR/T027843/1; MQ: Transforming Mental Health, Grant/Award Number: MQF20/24; MRC Mental Health Data Pathfinder Award, Grant/Award Number: MC_PC_17,217; National Institute for Health and Care Research, Grant/Award Numbers: RG85445, RG94028; NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Grant/Award Number: IS‐BRC‐1215‐20018 Funding information
Funding Information:
Prof Breen has received honoraria, research or conference grants and consulting fees from Illumina, Otsuka, and COMPASS Pathfinder Ltd. Prof Hotopf is principal investigator of the RADAR‐CNS consortium, an IMI public private partnership, and as such receives research funding from Janssen, UCB, Biogen, Lundbeck and MSD. Prof McIntosh has received research support from Eli Lilly, Janssen, and the Sackler Foundation, and has also received speaker fees from Illumina and Janssen.
Funding Information:
We thank the GLAD Study, EDGI UK, RAMP Study, and NIHR BioResource volunteers for their participation, and gratefully acknowledge the NIHR BioResource centres, NHS Trusts and staff for their contribution. We thank the National Institute for Health and Care Research, NHS Blood and Transplant, and Health Data Research UK as part of the Digital Innovation Hub Programme. Patient and public involvement groups and services for the RAMP Study were provided by the NIHR KCL‐Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre. This study presents independent research funded by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London. Further information can be found at http://brc.slam.nhs.uk/about/core-facilities/bioresource . The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR, the HSC R&D Division, King's College London, or the Department of Health and Social Care.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Eating Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2022/10/31
Y1 - 2022/10/31
N2 - OBJECTIVE: 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.METHOD: 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.RESULTS: 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.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.PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: 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.
AB - OBJECTIVE: 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.METHOD: 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.RESULTS: 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.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.PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85141382455&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/eat.23834
DO - 10.1002/eat.23834
M3 - Article
C2 - 36315390
SN - 1098-108X
JO - The International journal of eating disorders
JF - The International journal of eating disorders
ER -