Konstantinos Ioannidis (United Kingdom)
Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
S3 Eating Disorders
Konstantinos is an early career scientist (2nd yr PhD student) in CAPHRI Department of International Health, University of Maastricht investigating internet influences on eating disorders. He is also a Consultant Psychiatrist Eating disorders working in Cambridge UK, providing clinical leadership for a tertiary inpatient clinic for the National Health Service. He is an Associate Fellow Academy of Higher Education and has held research positions within the University of Cambridge as well as being a fellow of Applied Research Collaboration in the East of England. He has been an accomplished researcher (>35 journal publications in peer review journals, 12 first author publications, [RG] H-index 18, [RG]) in his areas of research. He regularly presents in international conferences and conducts peer review for esteemed journals (Psychol Med, BJPsych, NBBR among others). His interests include disorders of the impulsive and compulsive spectrum, problematic internet use, resilience in mental health and modern statistical learning (inc machine learning) applications in psychiatry.

Presenter of 1 Presentation

 Conference Calendar

Associations Between COVID-19 Pandemic Impact, Dimensions of Behavior and Eating Disorders: A Longitudinal UK-Based Study

Session Name
1690 - On Demand - Oral Communication 09: Eating Disorders (ID 221)
Session Type
Oral Communication
Date
Mon, 06.06.2022
Session Time
10:00 - 11:30
Room
Hall E
Session Icon
On Demand
Presenter
Lecture Time
10:00 - 10:08

Abstract

Introduction

There is growing concern about how people with eating disorders are impacted by the widespread societal restructuring during the COVID-19 crisis.

Objectives

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.

Methods

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.

Results

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.

Conclusions

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.

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