Self-injury, suicidal ideation and -attempt and eating disorders in young people following the initial and second COVID-19 lockdown

BackgroundThe initial COVID-19 lockdowns have had negative effect on different mental health measures, especially in young women. However, the impact on self-injury, suicidality and eating disorder (ED) are less elucidated and remains inconsistent. We compare self-reported self-injury, suicide ideation and -attempt and symptoms of EDs from before through different pandemic periods until spring 2021. MethodsYoung participants in the Danish National Birth Cohort reported these measures in an 18-year follow-up in 2015-2021 and in a COVID-19 survey in spring 2021 when participants were aged 19-24 years. Changes in measures from pre to post lockdown were estimated with longitudinal data (N=7,597) and with repeated cross-sectional data (N=24,625) by linear regression. FindingsIn the longitudinal comparisons 14% of women and 7% of men reported self-injury pre lockdown, which decreased 6%-points (95% CI:-7%;-5%) for women and 3%-points (95% CI:-4%;-2%) for men during lockdown. For suicide ideation, the pre lockdown proportions were 25% and 18% for women and men respectively, and decreased 7%-points (95% CI:-8%;-6%) for women and 3%-points (95% CI:-5%;-1%) for men. For suicide attempt no change was observed. Pre lockdown 15% and 3% of women and men, respectively, had symptoms of EDs, which decreased 2%-points (95% CI:-3%;-1%) for women. We observed no changes in proportions of self-injury, suicide ideation or EDs in the repeated cross-sectional data. InterpretationOur findings provide no support for increase in self-injury, suicidality and EDs following the lockdowns, and if anything, indicate a reduction in self-injury and suicide ideation as well as EDs in women.