
@article{ref1,
title="Self-injury, suicidality and eating disorder symptoms in young adults following COVID-19 lockdowns in Denmark",
journal="Nature human behaviour",
year="2023",
author="Danielsen, Stine and Joensen, Andrea and Andersen, Per K. and Madsen, Trine and Strandberg-Larsen, Katrine",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="An aggravation in mental health during the COVID-19 lockdown has been suggested but the impact on self-injury, suicidality and eating disorders (EDs) are less elucidated. Using linear regression in different data set-ups that is longitudinal (n = 7,579) and repeated cross-sectional data (n = 24,625) from the Danish National Birth Cohort, we compared self-reported self-injury, suicidality and symptoms of EDs from before through different pandemic periods until spring 2021. The longitudinal data indicate a reduction in the proportion of self-injury in men (-3.2% points, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -4.3%; -2.2%, P < 0.001, d.f. = 2) and women (5.7% points, 95% CI = -6.6%; -4.8%, P < 0.001, d.f. = 2) and of suicide ideation in men (-3.0% points, 95% CI = -4.6%; -1.4%, P = 0.002, d.f. = 2) and women (-7.4% points, 95% CI = -8.7%; -6.0%, P < 0.001, d.f. = 2), as well as symptoms of EDs in women (-2.3% points, 95% CI = -3.2%; -1.4%, P < 0.001, d.f. = 2). For suicide attempt, indication of an increase was observed in men only (0.4% points, 95% CI = 0.1%; 0.7%, P = 0.019, d.f. = 2). In the repeated cross-sectional data, we observed no changes in any of the outcomes. Our findings provide no support for the increase in self-injury, suicidality and symptoms of EDs after the lockdowns. Key limitations are differential attrition and varying age in pre- and post-lockdown measures in the longitudinal data.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2397-3374",
doi="10.1038/s41562-022-01511-7",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01511-7"
}