Psychiatric and non-psychiatric population vulnerabilities in time of a crisis: the unsuspected aggression factor.

OBJECTIVES: In March 2020, France faced a health crisis due to the COVID-19 outbreak that, like previous infectious disease crises, involved high psychological and emotional stress, a series of factors that influenced the ongoing mental health crisis. METHODS: We recruited 384 respondents to complete an online questionnaire during the second month of isolation: 176 psychotherapy recipients (68 were currently attending psychiatric care) and 208 healthy controls. We measured demographic characteristics, impulsivity, aggression, hopelessness, suicidal risk, and the global level of anxiety and depression in order to estimate potential discrepancies in clinical measures across these populations. RESULTS: Our results indicate that the group currently undergoing psychiatric care was prone to loneliness and social isolation. Regarding clinical and nonclinical population, there were differences in suicidal risk, depression, anxiety, and hopelessness but mainly in aggression. Regression analysis also demonstrated that aggression surprisingly influenced anxiety levels. Patients undergoing therapy compared with patients who were not displayed differences only in suicidal risk, anxiety, and hopelessness, with those undergoing therapy having higher scores. The outpatient group undergoing therapy had a significantly lower level of impulsivity. Moreover, the regression to predict anxiety and depression levels from correlated factors highlighted the potentially heightened role of aggression in predicting anxiety in the clinical group. CONCLUSION: New research into stress reactions should assess other clinical signals, such as aggression, and examine preventive mental health interventions in times of crisis.

The interplay of skills, digital financial literacy, capability, and autonomy in financial decision making and well-being

Covid-19 and the unprecedented surge in financial technology contributed to unexpected financial challenges, affecting the relevance of financial decision making and perceived financial well-being. This paper examines the mediating effects of digital financial literacy, financial autonomy, financial capability, and impulsivity on financial decision making and perceived financial well-being. The data come from 512 re-spondents in Delhi/NCR (National Capital Region), India, using a snowball-sampling technique and partial least squares structural equation modeling to test 13 structural hypotheses with SmartPLS3.3. Partial least squares (PLS) prediction is employed to estimate the out-of-sample predictive power of the proposed model. Our findings reveal that skills directly affect financial decision making and perceived financial well-being, and digital financial literacy emerges as a direct and mediating predictor of financial decision making. The dominance of financial capability and financial autonomy as mediators in financial decision making and financial well-being become more evident, and impulsivity fails to have mediating effects on financial decision making. The results have academic, regulatory, and managerial implications, all of which calls for more concerted efforts at recognizing the unique interaction among skills-financial decision making-perceived financial well-being, the cu-mulative effect of which enhances the critical ability to deal with environmental challenges, manage socioeconomic pressures in a sustainable manner, and translate the benefits into prudent gender-specific policy decisions and practices.Copyright (c) 2022 Borsa Istanbul Anonim S , irketi. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Time Discounting and Hand-Sanitization Behavior: Evidence from Japan

Whether non-compliance with hand sanitization is related to impatience or impulsivity is an unresolved issue. Several studies have argued that not maintaining hand sanitization requirements during a pandemic could relate to impatience or impulsivity. However, the impatience or impulsivity of hand sanitization needs to be investigated in pandemic-free situations, as government requirements for hand sanitization influence subjective preferences. Little research, however, has examined such associations in pandemic-neutral scenarios. To fill this gap, this study assesses the role of two aspects of time discounting—hyperbolic discounting and impatience—in influencing hand-sanitizing behavior in Japan. The study utilized two waves of 2021 and 2018 datasets derived from the Japanese population-based survey of the Preference Parameters Study of Osaka University (N = 725). The probit regression results provide partial support for deviation from hand sanitization as an impulsive decision because the phenomenon is evident only in females. There were no notable impacts of the impatience variable in any of the models or specifications. Our study provides important policy implications. We argue that one-size-fits-all policies may not solve the impulsivity associated with hand-sanitization behavior in Japan because the impulsivity problem is not commonly found among all respondents. Policymakers should consider underlying gender differences when designing future health-promoting measures.

Cross-Theoretical Compliance: An Integrative Compliance Analysis of COVID-19 Mitigation Responses in Israel

To understand the question why people obey or break rules, different approaches have focused on different theories and subsets of variables. The present research develops a cross-theoretical approach that integrates these perspectives. We apply this in a survey of compliance with COVID-19 pandemic mitigation rules in Israel. The data reveal that compliance in this setting was shaped by a combination of variables originating from legitimacy, capacity, and opportunity theories (but not rational choice or social theories). This demonstrates the importance of moving beyond narrow theoretical perspectives of compliance, to a cross-theoretical understanding—in which different theoretical approaches are systematically integrated.

The impact of impulsivity and school attendance on COVID-19 spread: A web-based cross-sectional questionnaire.

Some personal and social decisions can be influential in the spread of COVID-19. There are no studies examining school attendance, impulsivity, COVID-19 phobia, and psychological resilience together while the effect of some individual and social measures on COVID-19 has been frequently investigated. In this study 360 participants were evaluated through an online questionnaire method during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic data form prepared by the researchers, COVID-19 Phobia Scale, Barratt Impulsivity Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale were used in the study. In all, 20.6% (n = 74) of participants had previously experienced COVID-19. The rate of individuals who experienced the death of any of their relatives due to COVID-19 was 17.8%. Only 65.8% of respondents fully complied with government-implemented measures for the outbreak. School attendance (OR = 1.983, p = .033) and impulsivity (OR = 1.115, p < .001) were found to be positively correlated with COVID-19. The presence of a significantly higher psychiatric disease admission history in patients with COVID-19 in binary comparisons did not reach the level of significance in regression analysis. Our results suggest that high school attendance and impulsivity scores are positively correlated with COVID-19 in young people. Government strategies related to schools need to be carefully reviewed for this reason.

Effect of Risk Message Framing on Tourists' Travel Intention: Roles of Resilience and Impulsivity

The effect of risk message framing on travel intention requires more empirical investigations in long-term high-risk situations like the current COVID-19 pandemic. Based on frame theory, this study employed an experimental design to examine how two contrasting approaches of COVID-19 risk message framing (amplifying vs. attenuating) affected post-pandemic travel intention via the mediation of perceived safety and travel fear, and how resilience and impulsivity as tourist traits moderate these relationships. Survey results based on 481 responses revealed that: (1) risk messages significantly predicted tourists' perceived safety, travel fear, and travel intention;(2) tourists' perceived safety and travel fear mediated the effects of risk messages on travel intention;(3) while resilience moderated the effects of message framing on perceived safety and travel intention, impulsivity only moderated the effect of message framing on travel fear. The study provides a theoretical basis and practical implications for destination risk communications.

Environmental context and expectancy of alcohol use on changes in reflection-impulsivity and craving

The present study primarily aimed to (a) determine the effects of environmental context and the expectancy of alcohol consumption on changes in reflection-impulsivity (R-I), a state behavioral aspect of impulsivity and (b) test R-I as a mediator of the association between environment, expectancy of alcohol consumption, and subjective craving for alcohol in a sample of college-aged heavy drinkers. Participants were 81 (76.5% female) college students between the ages of 21 and 29 (M = 21.86, SD = 1.87) who were classified as heavy drinkers. Participants first completed measures of alcohol use, trait impulsivity, behavioral R-I, and subjective craving for alcohol in a neutral location prior to being randomized into one of four conditions: (1) a neutral environment without the expectancy of alcohol consumption, (2) a neutral environment with the expectancy of alcohol consumption, (3) a simulated bar without the expectancy of alcohol consumption, and (4) a simulated bar with the expectancy of alcohol consumption. Participants completed post-condition exposure assessments of R-I and subjective craving. Post hoc analyses determined that statistical tests for both aims were underpowered. As such, significant findings may not have been detected due to a high probability of Type II error and thus, null findings should be considered with caution. Findings revealed that environment nor expectancy of alcohol consumption elicited changes in R-I or subjective craving. There was a significant effect of time on R-I, whereby R-I improved over time. Such improvement may suggest the potential presence of a testing effect. Further, the association between condition and subjective craving for alcohol was not mediated by R-I. Trait impulsivity was found to positively associate with subjective craving at baseline and post-condition exposure. Thus, alcohol-related cues in one's environment and the priming of future alcohol consumption were not found to elicit changes in R-I or subsequent increases in subjective craving for alcohol. Future research may benefit from replication, as the COVID-19 pandemic may impacted the internal and external validity of this study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Does pre-COVID impulsive behaviour predict adherence to hygiene and social distancing measures in youths following the COVID-19 pandemic onset? Evidence from a South African longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Engagement in protective behaviours relating to the COVID-19 pandemic has been proposed to be key to infection control. This is particularly the case for youths as key drivers of infections. A range of factors influencing adherence have been identified, including impulsivity and risk taking. We assessed the association between pre-COVID impulsivity levels and engagement in preventative measures during the COVID-19 pandemic in a longitudinal South African sample, in order to inform future pandemic planning. METHODS: Data were collected from N = 214 youths (mean age at baseline: M = 17.81 (SD = .71), 55.6% female) living in a South African peri-urban settlement characterised by high poverty and deprivation. Baseline assessments were taken in 2018/19 and the COVID follow-up was conducted in June-October 2020 via remote data collection. Impulsivity was assessed using the Balloon Analogue Task (BART), while hygiene and social distancing behaviours were captured through self-report. Stepwise hierarchical regression analyses were performed to estimate effects of impulsivity on measure adherence. RESULTS: Self-rated engagement in hygiene behaviours was high (67.1-86.1% "most of the time", except for "coughing/sneezing into one's elbow" at 33.3%), while engagement in social distancing behaviours varied (22.4-57.8% "most of the time"). Higher impulsivity predicted lower levels of hygiene (ß = .14, p = .041) but not social distancing behaviours (ß = -.02, p = .82). This association was retained when controlling for a range of demographic and COVID-related factors (ß = .14, p = .047) and was slightly reduced when including the effects of a life-skills interventions on hygiene behaviour (ß = -.13, p = .073). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that impulsivity may predict adolescent engagement in hygiene behaviours post COVID-19 pandemic onset in a high risk, sub-Saharan African setting, albeit with a small effect size. For future pandemics, it is important to understand predictors of engagement, particularly in the context of adversity, where adherence may be challenging. Limitations include a small sample size and potential measure shortcomings.

Childhood Trauma and Suicide.

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and childhood trauma has been found to be an important risk factor. However, the mechanisms linking trauma to suicide risk remain unclear. Aims: The current registered report sought to (1) investigate whether childhood trauma and its subtypes were related to suicide risk in adulthood and (2) explore the potential mechanisms associating childhood trauma with suicide and well-being, especially executive functioning, impulsivity, and stress. Method: A cross-sectional survey of 457 individuals who reported experiencing suicide ideation in the past 12 months. Results: Childhood trauma and its subtypes were associated with an increased risk of reporting recent suicide thoughts, COVID-19-related suicide attempts, and recent suicide attempts. There were also significant indirect effects of childhood trauma on recent suicide ideation and well-being through executive functioning and impulsivity. Conclusion: These findings show that childhood trauma is associated with suicide risk in adulthood and suggest that poorer executive functioning and higher levels of impulsivity contribute to this increased risk. These results have implications for the development of future interventions to reduce suicide vulnerability.

ADHD Symptoms Increased During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Emerging research suggests that the Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately and adversely affected children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this meta-analysis is to consolidate the findings from studies that examined changes in ADHD symptoms from before to during the pandemic. METHOD: Database searches of PsycINFO, ERIC, PubMed, and ProQuest were used to identify relevant studies, theses, and dissertations. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies met specific inclusion criteria and were coded based on various study characteristics. Twelve studies examined ADHD symptoms longitudinally and six studies assessed ADHD symptoms retroactively and during the pandemic. Data from 6,491 participants from 10 countries were included. Results indicated that many children and/or their caregivers reported an increase in child ADHD symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: This review points to a global increase in ADHD symptoms and has implications for the prevalence and management of ADHD during the post-pandemic recovery.

Episodic future thinking and compassion reduce non-compliance urges regarding public health guidelines: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: People often feel urges to engage in activities that violate pandemic public health guidelines. Research on these urges has been reliant on measures of typical behaviour, which fail to capture these urges as they unfold. Guideline adherence could be improved through interventions, but few methods allow for ecologically valid observation of the range of behaviours that pandemic guidelines prescribe. METHODS: In this preregistered parallel randomised trial, 95 participants aged 18-65 from the UK were assigned to three groups using blinded block randomisation, and engaged in episodic future thinking (n = 33), compassion exercises (n = 31), or a control procedure (n = 31). Following an ecological momentary assessment procedure, participants report on the intensity of their occurrent urges (min. 1, max. 10) and their ability to control them. The study further investigates whether, and through which mechanism, state impulsivity and vaccine attitudes affect guideline adherence. RESULTS: Episodic future thinking (b = -1.80) and compassion exercises (b = -1.45) reduced the intensity of urges. State impulsivity is associated with stronger urges, but we found no evidence that vaccine hesitancy predicts lesser self-control. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that episodic future thinking exercises and compassion training may be used to decrease non-compliance urges of individuals who are an acute public health risk for the community, such as those in voluntary isolation.

Cognitive fitness modulates gender differences in sleep and mental health among competitive athletes under chronic stress.

Objectives: Mental fitness is increasingly considered a key component of an athlete's competitive arsenal. Active domains of mental fitness include cognitive fitness, sleep, and mental health; and these domains can differ between men and women athletes. Our study investigated the associations of cognitive fitness and gender to sleep and mental health, and the interaction between cognitive fitness and gender on sleep and mental health, in competitive athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: 82 athletes competing at levels from regional/state to international (49% women, M-age = 23.3 years) completed measures of self-control, intolerance of uncertainty, and impulsivity (together representing constructs of cognitive fitness), items about sleep (total sleep time, sleep latency, and mid-sleep time on free days) and a measure of mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress). Results: Women athletes reported lower self-control, higher intolerance of uncertainty, and higher positive urgency impulsivity compared with men athletes. Women reported sleeping later, but this gender difference disappeared after controlling for cognitive fitness. Women athletes-after controlling for cognitive fitness-reported higher depression, anxiety, and stress. Across genders, higher self-control was associated with lower depression, and lower intolerance of uncertainty was associated with lower anxiety. Higher sensation seeking was associated with lower depression and stress, and higher premeditation was associated with greater total sleep time and anxiety. Higher perseverance was associated with higher depression for men-but not women-athletes. Conclusion: Women athletes in our sample reported poorer cognitive fitness and mental health compared to men athletes. Most cognitive fitness factors protected competitive athletes under chronic stress, but some exposed them to poorer mental health. Future work should examine the sources of gender differences. Our findings suggest a need to develop tailored interventions aimed at improving athlete wellbeing, with a particular focus on women athletes.

Impulsivity as a Risk Factor for Addictive Disorder Severity during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Results from a Mixed Quantitative and Qualitative Study.

Interindividual differences in personality traits, especially impulsivity traits, are robust risk factors for addictive disorders. However, their impact on addictive disorders during the COVID-19 lockdown remains unknown. This study assessed patients being followed for addictive disorders before the lockdown. We aimed to determine whether impulsivity traits (i.e., negative- and positive urgency) were associated with addictive disorders severity during the lockdowns. We also explored the patients' subjective experiences, focusing on high versus low impulsivity. The quantitative study assessed 44 outpatients consulting for addictive disorders, for impulsivity, emotion regulation, anxiety/depression, and their addictive disorder characteristics, using self-administered questionnaires. In the qualitative study, six patients from the quantitative study were assessed using guided interviews. We observed that higher negative and positive urgencies were associated with addictive disorder severity. The subjective experiences of patients during the lockdowns differed according to their emotion-related impulsivity: high versus low. Low impulsive patients used online technologies more effectively to maintain follow-up, with more positive reappraisal. In contrast, highly impulsive patients reverted more frequently to self-medication with substances and/or behaviors, more social isolation, and found coping with negative emotions more challenging. Overall, the patient's ability to cope with stressful events, like the COVID-19 lockdown, depended on their emotion-related impulsivity.

Associations Between Self-reported Inhibitory Control, Stress, and Alcohol (Mis)use During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the UK: a National Cross-sectional Study Utilising Data From Four Birth Cohorts.

We explored (1) self-reported changes in alcohol use during the pandemic in the UK and (2) the extent to which self-reported inhibitory control and/or stress were associated with any change in drinking behaviour. We used a UK-based cross-sectional online survey administered to four nationally representative birth cohorts (N = 13,453). A significant minority of 30- (29.08%) and 50-year-olds (26.67%) reported drinking more, and between 32.23 and 45.02% of respondents reported feeling more stressed depending on the cohort. Stress was associated with hazardous drinking among 30-year-olds (OR = 3.77, 95% CI 1.15 to 12.28). Impatience was associated with both increased alcohol use (1.14, 95% CI 1.06, 1.24) and hazardous drinking (1.20, 95% CI 1.05, 1.38) among 19-year-olds. Risk-taking was associated with hazardous drinking for 30-year-olds (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.05, 1.32). These data highlight concerns for those at risk of alcohol misuse and alcohol-related harm during COVID-19 lockdowns. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11469-021-00599-8.

Health-Related Cognitions and Metacognitions Indirectly Contribute to the Relationships Between Impulsivity, Fear of COVID-19, and Cyberchondria.

The aim of the study was to converge a structural equation model to unfold the compositive relationships between trait impulsivity, health cognitions, metacognitions about health, fear of COVID-19 and cyberchondria, after controlling for gender, age, marital status, having a chronic illness and chronic illness among first-degree relatives. Six hundred fifty-one participants (423 females, 65%; 228 males, 35%) participated in the study. The Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (S-UPPS-P), Health Cognitions Questionnaire (HCQ), The Meta-Cognitions about Health Questionnaire (MCQ-HA), Cyberchondria Severity Scale -Short Form (CSS-12), and Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19 S) were completed by volunteered participants. The structural model showed that the S-UPPS-P directly and indirectly contributed to the HCQ, MCQ-HA, CSS-12, and FCV-19 S. The multi-group structural analysis by gender showed that the structural model had a partial measurement and factorial invariance. We concluded that the significant associations between impulsivity, fear of COVID-19 and cyberchondria were indirectly contributed by health-related cognitions and metacognitions.

Examination of drinking motives during the pandemic: mediating effects of drinking motives in the relationship between impulsivity and alcohol use

Purpose: Previous research have shown that individuals with high trait impulsivity are at high risk of engaging in problem alcohol use and that drinking motives differentially predicted alcohol use and problems. This study aimed to investigate whether these previously shown associations still existed during the global outbreak of the pandemic, COVID-19, which resulted in a long period of lockdown and raised concerns about the effects of alcohol. Design/methodology/approach: The data was collected from 185 adults between ages of 18 and 35 during the lockdown period (November 20–May 21) through an online survey. Participants completed an impulsivity questionnaire, drinking motives and alcohol use measures. Findings: The results revealed that enhancement and coping motives mediated the effects of positive and negative urgency, respectively, and lack of premeditation facet of impulsivity was directly linked to alcohol use. These findings are partially in line with the previous studies before the lockdown. Research limitations/implications: Overall, individuals with particularly high urgency and premeditation maybe at high risk for problem alcohol use and may require tailored support for regulating emotions, particularly during stressful life events such as a global pandemic. Practical implications: Findings may inform prevention and intervention strategies. Individuals with high trait urgency may benefit from more adaptive coping strategies such as learning specific emotion regulation strategies to minimise engaging in risk behaviours in stressful situations. Originality/value: Findings suggest that traits positive and negative urgency are risk factors for alcohol use through enhancement and coping motives respectively, and these associations are particularly strong during stressful life events. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Evaluating the daily life of child and adolescent psychiatric outpatients during temporary school closure over COVID-19 pandemic: A single-center case-control study in Japan.

This study evaluated the clinical characteristics of mental health of child and adolescent psychiatric patients during temporary school closure throughout the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan using the Questionnaire - Children with Difficulties (QCD) and other useful psychological rating scales. The participants were those who visited the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kohnodai Hospital. From those 1,463 participants, case and control groups were selected: 92 patients who visited the hospital during the temporary school closure from March 2020 to May 2020 (case group) and randomly sampled sex- and age-matched 92 patients during the pre-COVID period from April 2017 to March 2020 (control group). QCD is a parent-assessed questionnaire designed to evaluate the difficulties of children along the course of a day, right from waking up in the morning to retiring to bed at night. Lower scores indicate stronger difficulties. QCD scores were compared between the two groups in each of the following age groups: elementary school (6-12 years of age) and junior high school (12-15 years of age). In elementary school students, scores "during school" of QCD indicating functioning or disabilities during school hours were 3.31 ± 2.52 and 4.52 ± 2.33 in case group and control group, respectively (p < 0.05). In junior high school students, scores "Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Rating Scale (ADHD-RS)" indicating ADHD symptoms were 16.78 ± 12.69 and 11.80 ± 10.40 in case group and control group, respectively (p < 0.05). The findings suggest that the closure of schools due to the pandemic might worsen difficulties among elementary school patients, and hyperactivity and impulsivity might increase among junior high school patients. The long-term impact of stress caused by school closure on child and adolescent psychiatric patients needs to be investigated in the future.

ADHD in a patient with eating disorder. Case report

Introduction: 15-year-old female referred to outpatient unit after COVID lockdown for binge eating and purging with depressive symptoms and anxiety. Objective(s): To show the importance of a correct diagnosis in an impulsive patient with eating disorder Methods: case report and literature review Results: The patient presents emotional instability with interpersonal difficulties with high fear of rejection. She suffered from fear of gaining weight and desires to lose weight with rejection of her body image. Fluoxetine and lorazepam are started together with low doses of olanzapine. During the follow up she presented a worsening of mood, onset of self-injuries and an episode of suicidal attempt. A biographical examination was performed, expressing a feeling of academic failure with difficulty concentrating and performing simple tasks. As a child she is described as impulsive, with frequent arguments with classmates. CPT III was performed with a high probability of ADHD. Treatment was started with lisdexamfetamine up to 50 mg with good tolerance. From the beginning of the treatment the patient expressed a feeling of improvement in the control of emotions as well as in the management of her impulsivity. There was an improvement in her academic performance with a decrease in self-injury episodes. The patient was able to express improvement in the sense of incapacity she felt. Conclusion(s): This case shows how marked emotional dysregulation and impulsive symptoms improves after diagnosis and subsequent treatment of ADHD, also improving eating symptoms. ADHD is present in eating disorders, especially in those with impulse dyscontrol such as binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa.

Covid-19 and impulsivity: an evaluation of self-harm admissions in emergency care

Introduction: Several studies highlighted how COVID-19-related isolation and quarantine deeply weighed on the mental health of both the general and psychiatric population. There has been limited investigation about self-harm and impulsivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective(s): The aim of this study is to evaluate how COVID-19- related lockdown affected self-harm rates in an Italian hospital. Method(s): Data on 59 patients were retrospectively collected from the Emercency deparment of the Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, from March 11 to May 4, 2020 (Italian mass quarantine) and the same periods of 2019 and 2021. Demographics, psychiatric history, substance use/abuse, types of self-harm and admission in psychiatric acute unit (PAU) rates were recorded. Result(s): No statistical difference was reported in self-harm rates [9.8%(26/266) in 2019 vs 13.2%(10/76) in 2020 vs 10.7%(23/215) in 2021;p>0.05]. In 2020 subjects were younger (31.9+/-12.1 vs 39.2+/-14.4,p=0.22;vs 38.1+/-14.4;p=0.15) and had higher incidence of psychiatric history [90%(9/10) vs 73.1%(19/26), p= 0.42;vs 65.2% (15/23),p=0.29],than 2019 and 2021 respectively. Substance use/abuse rates were significantly lower in 2020 compared to 2019 and 2021 [10%(1/10) vs 53.8%(14/26),p= 0.04;vs 60.9% (14/23), p=0.02]. In 2020, subjects committing self-harms were more frequently admitted to PAU compared to 2019 and 2021 [60%(6/10)vs19.2%(5/26),p=0.04;vs 17.4% (4/23), p=0.04). Conclusion(s): Consistent with the literature, lockdown-related measures negatively impacted on younger people, with higher rates of self-harm between March and May 2020. This, together with a higher rate of admissions to PAU, should warn the mental health system to target with specific programs to support adolescents and youngers.

Associations between COVID-19 pandemic impact, dimensions of behavior and eating disorders: a longitudinal UK-based study

Introduction: There is growing concern about how people with eating disorders are impacted by the widespread societal restructuring during the COVID-19 crisis. Objective(s): We aimed to examine how factors relating to the impact of the pandemic associate with eating disorders and quantify this relationship while adjusting for concurrent and longitudinal parameters of risk. Method(s): We gathered demographic, behavioral and clinical data pre- and mid-pandemic as well as childhood trauma history from a longitudinal online survey of 489 adults (mean age 23.4 years) recruited from the Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network (NSPN). Using pre-pandemic (T1) and concurrent (T2) data we aimed to predict eating disorders at mid-pandemic (T2). We deployed hierarchical generalized logistic regression to ascertain the strength of longitudinal and concurrent associations. Result(s): Pre-pandemic eating disorder scores strongly associated with concurrent eating disorder (z=5.93). More conflict at home mid-pandemic (z=2.03), pre- (lower sensation seeking z=-2.58) and mid-pandemic (higher lack of perseverance z=2.33) impulsivity traits also associated with mid-pandemic eating disorder. Significant correlations between pandemic-related disrupted lifestyle and eating disorder psychopathology both pre- and mid-pandemic were observed. Conclusion(s): Conflict at home mid-pandemic and specific aspects of impulsiveness significantly associated with concurrent eating disorder when adjusted for pre-pandemic eating disorder symptoms, baseline demographics, behavioral traits, history of traumatic experiences and concurrent psychopathology. These results provide insight into the struggles of those suffering with eating disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the importance of impulsiveness traits and the immediate family environment in their experience of illness during the pandemic.