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Depressive symptoms, alcohol and other drug use, and suicide risk: Prevention and treatment effects from a two‐country online eating disorder risk reduction trial
Author(s) -
Wilksch Simon M.,
O'Shea Anne,
Wade Tracey D.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.23005
Subject(s) - psychiatry , randomized controlled trial , comorbidity , medicine , major depressive disorder , alcohol use disorder , depressive symptoms , logistic regression , young adult , clinical psychology , psychology , alcohol , anxiety , mood , biochemistry , chemistry
Objective Eating disorders are known to have high comorbidity, and the current report outlines the impact of an online eating disorder risk reduction program on brief, self‐report measures of depressive symptoms, alcohol and other drug use, and suicidality. Method An online pragmatic, randomized‐controlled trial was conducted with N = 316 young‐women ( M age = 20.80 years) across Australia and New Zealand. Media Smart‐Targeted (MS‐T) was a 9‐module program released weekly while control participants received positive body image tips. Prevention effects (asymptomatic at baseline) and treatment effects (symptomatic at baseline) were investigated. Results MS‐T participants were 94% and 91% less likely than controls to develop Moderate or higher depressive symptoms at 6‐month ( MS‐T = 3.3%; controls = 35.4%) and 12‐month follow‐up ( MS‐T = 3.4%; controls = 29.4%), respectively. MS‐T participants did not commence using recreational drugs at any assessment point, compared to 18.2% of controls at a least one assessment point. Regarding treatment effects, MS‐T participants were 84% more likely to no longer be using recreational drugs at 12‐month follow‐up ( MS‐T = 60%; controls = 21.1%). Mutitvariate logistic regressions revealed group, depressive symptoms and alcohol use to be significant predictors of elevated suicide risk, where being an MS‐T participant, without depressive symptoms and not drinking alcohol, significantly lowered likelihood of developing elevated suicide risk. Disordered eating at post‐program mediated the relationship between group and depressive symptoms across post‐program to 12‐mnoth follow‐up. Discussion MS‐T shows promise as a program with important mental health benefits in addition to previous reports of lowered eating disorder diagnosis, risk and impairment.