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Journal article

Incidence and outcomes of eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract:
There are concerns that eating disorders have become commoner during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the electronic health records of 5.2 million people aged under 30, mostly in the USA, we show that the diagnostic incidence was 15.3% higher in 2020 overall compared to previous years (relative risk 1.15 [95% CI: 1.12-1.19). The relative risk increased steadily from March 2020 onwards, exceeding 1.5 by the end of the year. The increase occurred solely in females, and primarily affected teenagers and anorexia nervosa. A higher proportion of eating disorder patients in 2020 had suicidal ideation (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.30 [1.16-1.47] or attempted suicide (HR: 1.69 [1.21-2.35]).
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Files:
Publisher copy:
10.1192/bjp.2021.105

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
Experimental Psychology
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
Experimental Psychology
Role:
Author
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
Experimental Psychology
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Journal:
British Journal of Psychiatry More from this journal
Volume:
220
Issue:
5
Pages:
262 - 264
Publication date:
2021-07-27
Acceptance date:
2021-06-29
DOI:
EISSN:
1472-1465
ISSN:
0007-1250


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1186250
Local pid:
pubs:1186250
Deposit date:
2021-07-14

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