Eating Disorder Symptoms, Non-suicidal Self-injury, and Suicidal Behavior are Associated Among College Men

Research on eating disorders among men has been lacking. In particular, little research has investigated the ways in which eating disorders are associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal behavior among college men, despite preliminary support for their co-occurrence and high prevalence in this age group. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the associations between eating disorder symptoms, NSSI, and suicidal behavior among a large sample of college men (n = 14,964) from the 2017-2018 Healthy Minds Study. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to obtain the associations between a positive eating disorder screen and NSSI, suicidal ideation, and a suicide attempt while adjusting for covariates and demographic variables. Among the sample, nearly 16% of participants screened positive for an eating disorder. Participants who reported any form of NSSI [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45-1.88, p < 0.001] or suicidal ideation (AOR 1.36, 95% CI 1.16-1.58, p < 0.001) in the past 12 months had greater odds of screening positive for an eating disorder after adjusting for covariates and demographic variables. NSSI and suicidal ideation are accompanied by increased risk of eating disorder symptoms among college men. The interrelations of these harmful behaviors among college men should be taken into account to improve identification and intervention efforts.