scholarly journals Comorbidity of self-harm and disordered eating in young people: evidence from a UK population-based cohort

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S9-S9
Author(s):  
Helen Bould ◽  
Naomi Warne ◽  
Jon Heron ◽  
Becky Mars ◽  
Paul Moran ◽  
...  

AimsSelf-harm and eating disorders are often comorbid in clinical samples but their co-occurrence in the general population is unclear. Given that only a small proportion of individuals who self-harm or have disordered eating present to clinical services, and that both self-harm and eating disorders are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, we aimed to study these behaviours at a population level.MethodWe assessed the co-occurrence of self-harm and disordered eating behaviours in 3384 females and 2326 males from a UK population-based cohort: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Participants reported on their self-harm and disordered eating behaviours (fasting, purging, binge-eating and excessive exercise) in the last year via questionnaire at 16 and 24 years. At each age we assessed how many individuals who self-harm also reported disordered eating, and how many individuals with disordered eating also reported self-harm.ResultWe found high comorbidity of self-harm and disordered eating. Almost two-thirds of 16-year-old females, and two-in-five 24-year-old males who self-harmed also reported some form of disordered eating. Young people with disordered eating reported higher levels of self-harm at both ages compared to those without disordered eating.ConclusionAs self-harm and disordered eating commonly co-occur in young people in the general population, it is important to screen for both sets of difficulties to provide appropriate treatment.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Warne ◽  
Jon Heron ◽  
Becky Mars ◽  
Paul Moran ◽  
Anne Stewart ◽  
...  

Self-harm and eating disorders are often comorbid in clinical samples but their co-occurrence in the general population is unclear. We assessed the co-occurrence of self-harm and disordered eating behaviours at age 16 and 24 years in 3384 females and 2326 males from a UK population-based cohort. There was substantial overlap at both time points: almost two-thirds of 16-year-old females, and two-in-five 24-year old males who self-harmed also reported disordered eating. Among young people, self-harm may signal the occurrence of disordered eating and vice versa. It is important to screen for both sets of difficulties to provide appropriate treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 282 ◽  
pp. 386-390
Author(s):  
Naomi Warne ◽  
Jon Heron ◽  
Becky Mars ◽  
Paul Moran ◽  
Anne Stewart ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukasz Cybulski ◽  
Darren M. Ashcroft ◽  
Matthew J. Carr ◽  
Shruti Garg ◽  
Carolyn A. Chew-Graham ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There has been growing concern in the UK over recent years that a perceived mental health crisis is affecting children and adolescents, although published epidemiological evidence is limited. Methods Two population-based UK primary care cohorts were delineated in the Aurum and GOLD datasets of the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). We included data from 9,133,246 individuals aged 1–20 who contributed 117,682,651 person-years of observation time. Sex- and age-stratified annual incidence rates were estimated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (age groups: 1–5, 6–9, 10–12, 13–16, 17–19), depression, anxiety disorders (6–9, 10–12, 13–16, 17–19), eating disorders and self-harm (10–12, 13–16, 17–19) during 2003–2018. We fitted negative binomial regressions to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) to examine change in incidence between the first (2003) and final year (2018) year of observation and to examine sex-specific incidence. Results The results indicated that the overall incidence has increased substantially in both boys and girls in between 2003 and 2018 for anxiety disorders (IRR 3.51 95% CI 3.18–3.89), depression (2.37; 2.03–2.77), ASD (2.36; 1.72–3.26), ADHD (2.3; 1.73–3.25), and self-harm (2.25; 1.82–2.79). The incidence for eating disorders also increased (IRR 1.3 95% CI 1.06–1.61), but less sharply. The incidence of anxiety disorders, depression, self-harm and eating disorders was in absolute terms higher in girls, whereas the opposite was true for the incidence of ADHD and ASD, which were higher among boys. The largest relative increases in incidence were observed for neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly among girls diagnosed with ADHD or ASD. However, in absolute terms, the incidence was much higher for depression and anxiety disorders. Conclusion The number of young people seeking help for psychological distress appears to have increased in recent years. Changes to diagnostic criteria, reduced stigma, and increased awareness may partly explain our results, but we cannot rule out true increases in incidence occurring in the population. Whatever the explanation, the marked rise in demand for healthcare services means that it may be more challenging for affected young people to promptly access the care and support that they need.


2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (8) ◽  
pp. 872-883
Author(s):  
Teresita de Jesús Saucedo-Molina ◽  
Martín Villarreal Castillo ◽  
Luz Alejandra Oliva Macías ◽  
Claudia Unikel Santoncini ◽  
Rebeca María Elena Guzmán Saldaña

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a universal prevention programme for disordered eating behaviours (DEB) and sedentary lifestyle among Mexican young people. Design: Non-experimental single group field study with repeated measures (pre-test, post-test and at 6-month follow-up). Setting: Public high school in Hidalgo, Mexico. Methods: In all, 214 young women and 154 young men aged 15–18 years with a mean age of 16.4 participated in the study. For both young women and men, data were collected using the Brief Questionnaire for Disordered Eating Behaviours (DEB) and the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Among young men, additional data were collected using the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS). Intervention: Five activity-based sessions. In the first four sessions, the following topics were addressed: thinness culture, myths and realities of dieting and supplements, healthy eating behaviours and healthy menus. At the end of each session, students engaged in an enjoyable physical activity hour. In the fifth session, participants were divided into three parallel workshop groups focusing on: thinness culture, healthy menus, and physical activity. The programme incorporated a variety of dissonance-based interventions using interactive psychoeducational strategies. Results: After 6 months, repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed a significant reduction in the mean DEB scores in young women. In young men, DEB and DMS mean scores decreased but not significantly. Physical activity frequency and duration showed a significant increase in the total sample over time. Conclusions: Overall, implementation of the programme had positive effects on young people and important differences were found between the sexes.


2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (675) ◽  
pp. e703-e710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward G Tyrrell ◽  
Denise Kendrick ◽  
Kapil Sayal ◽  
Elizabeth Orton

BackgroundGlobally, poisonings account for most medically-attended self-harm. Recent data on poisoning substances are lacking, but are needed to inform self-harm prevention.AimTo assess poisoning substance patterns and trends among 10–24-year-olds across EnglandDesign and settingOpen cohort study of 1 736 527 young people, using linked Clinical Practice Research Datalink, Hospital Episode Statistics, and Office for National Statistics mortality data, from 1998 to 2014.MethodPoisoning substances were identified by ICD-10 or Read Codes. Incidence rates and adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) were calculated for poisoning substances by age, sex, index of multiple deprivation, and calendar year.ResultsIn total, 40 333 poisoning episodes were identified, with 57.8% specifying the substances involved. The most common substances were paracetamol (39.8%), alcohol (32.7%), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (11.6%), antidepressants (10.2%), and opioids (7.6%). Poisoning rates were highest at ages 16–18 years for females and 19–24 years for males. Opioid poisonings increased fivefold from 1998–2014 (females: aIRR 5.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.08 to 6.89; males: aIRR 5.11, 95% CI = 3.37 to 7.76), antidepressant poisonings three-to fourfold (females: aIRR 3.91, 95% CI = 3.18 to 4.80, males: aIRR 2.70, 95% CI = 2.04 to 3.58), aspirin/NSAID poisonings threefold (females: aIRR 2.84, 95% CI = 2.40 to 3.36, males: aIRR 2.76, 95% CI = 2.05 to 3.72) and paracetamol poisonings threefold in females (aIRR 2.87, 95% CI = 2.58 to 3.20). Across all substances poisoning incidence was higher in more disadvantaged groups, with the strongest gradient for opioid poisonings among males (aIRR 3.46, 95% CI = 2.24 to 5.36).ConclusionIt is important that GPs raise awareness with families of the substances young people use to self-harm, especially the common use of over-the-counter medications. Quantities of medication prescribed to young people at risk of self-harm and their families should be limited, particularly analgesics and antidepressants.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 345-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Mäki ◽  
S. Koskela ◽  
G.K. Murray ◽  
T. Nordström ◽  
J. Miettunen ◽  
...  

AbstractAimSocial withdrawal is among the first signs of the prodromal state of psychosis seen in clinical samples. The aim of this prospective study was to find out whether difficulty in making contact with others and social withdrawal precede first episode psychosis in the young general population.MethodsThe members of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (n = 6274) completed the PROD-screen questionnaire in 2001–2002. The Finnish Hospital Discharge Register was used to detect both new psychotic and non-psychotic disorders requiring hospitalisation during 2003–2008.ResultsTwenty-three subjects developed psychosis and 89 developed a non-psychotic mental disorder requiring hospitalisation during the follow-up. Of those who developed psychosis, 35% had reported difficulty or uncertainty in making contact with others and 30% social withdrawal in adolescence. In hospitalised non-psychotic disorder, the corresponding precentages were 10 and 13% and in the control group without hospital-treated mental disorder 9 and 11%. The differences between psychotic and non-psychotic hospitalised subjects (P < 0.01) as well as controls (P < 0.001) were statistically significant regarding difficulty or uncertainty in making contact with others.ConclusionsIn this general population-based sample self-reported difficulty or uncertainty in making contact with others in adolescence preceded psychosis specifically compared to hospitalised non-psychotic mental disorders and controls.


2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 2093-2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Micali ◽  
Kate Northstone ◽  
Pauline Emmett ◽  
Ulrike Naumann ◽  
Janet L. Treasure

There is limited knowledge about dietary patterns and nutrient/food intake during pregnancy in women with lifetime eating disorders (ED). The objective of the present study was to determine patterns of food and nutrient intake in women with lifetime ED as part of an existing longitudinal population-based cohort: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Women with singleton pregnancies and no lifetime psychiatric disorders other than ED (n 9723) were compared with women who reported lifetime (ever) ED: (anorexia nervosa (AN, n 151), bulimia nervosa (BN, n 186) or both (AN+BN, n 77)). Women reported usual food consumption using a FFQ at 32 weeks of gestation. Nutrient intakes, frequency of consumption of food groups and overall dietary patterns were examined. Women with lifetime ED were compared with control women using linear regression and logistic regression (as appropriate) after adjustment for relevant covariates, and for multiple comparisons. Women with lifetime ED scored higher on the ‘vegetarian’ dietary pattern; they had a lower intake of meat, which was compensated by a higher consumption of soya products and pulses compared with the controls. Lifetime AN increased the risk for a high ( ≥ 2500 g/week) caffeine consumption in pregnancy. No deficiencies in mineral and vitamin intake were evident across the groups, although small differences were observed in macronutrient intakes. In conclusion, despite some differences in food group consumption, women with lifetime ED had similar patterns of nutrient intake to healthy controls. Important differences in relation to meat eating and vegetarianism were highlighted, as well as high caffeine consumption. These differences might have an important impact on fetal development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette S. Kluck ◽  
Sheila Garos ◽  
Lucas Shaw

Fears about sexual maturity and intimacy were among early explanations for the etiology of eating disorders and related concerns, and research with clinical samples revealed a relationship between eating disorders and atypical sexual experiences. In contrast, feminist scholars offer explanations for both eating disorders and sexual dysfunction that emphasize societal pressures. As an alternative approach to understanding these difficulties, the authors empirically explored the relationship between the cognitive and affective aspects of sexuality and disordered eating among a nonclinical sample of 167 university women. Participants completed the Eating Attitudes Test–Revised and the Garos Sexual Behavior Index–Research Version. Women who experienced greater psychic conflict about their sexual behavior, obsessiveness about sex, and discomfort with sexual stimulation also reported increased levels of disordered eating behavior. These results suggest a need to consider the potential disturbances in certain cognitive and affective aspects of sexual functioning when treating women with disordered eating.


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