Individuals with either disordered eating or self-harm are already at increased risk of mortality and psychiatric comorbidity, and this is likely exacerbated by the pandemic.
During COVID-19, young adults with disordered eating or self-harm are at increased risk of mental health problems (https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.16.20133116v1).
However, little is known about whether specific sub-groups (e.g. binge-eating, suicide attempt) are at particular risk, and what factors could mitigate this risk. Investigation using high-quality data sources is vital to help develop targeted interventions and inform policy for these vulnerable groups.
This study examines whether individuals with different types of disordered eating (fasting, binge-eating, purging, excessive exercise) and self-harm (non-suicidal self-injury, suicide attempt) are at particular risk of poorer mental health (depression, anxiety, mental wellbeing) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this study examines what mitigating factors (e.g. social interactions, visiting green space) may help with COVID-related mental health problems in those with different types of disordered eating and self-harm.