The investigation of alcohol use and its correlates during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is of utmost importance.

This study aimed to examine alcohol use during COVID-19 pandemic, while nationwide lockdowns were in effect in Greece, and its relationship with demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors.

The study included 378 individuals (225 women) with a mean age of 30.22 years who completed an online questionnaire during the third wave of the pandemic while restriction measures were in effect (March to April 2021). Participants completed Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief-COPE) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).

According to the results, alcohol use was negatively associated with COVID-19 fear (p = 0.011), and positively associated with anxiety (p = 0.024), depression (p<0.001) and avoidance-focused coping strategies (p = 0.003). Furthermore, perceived social support emerged as a significant protective factor against alcohol use. Men presented higher alcohol use levels compared to women (p = 0.002). Additionally, individuals identified as problematic users, based on AUDIT scores, displayed increased levels of anxiety (p = 0.028) and depression (p = 0.017) and used avoidance-focused coping strategies to a greater extent (p<0.001). Of note, higher alcohol use was observed in participants who lived alone (p<0.001) and in those whose work status had changed during the pandemic (p = 0.004).

Our findings highlight the importance of identifying individuals with problematic alcohol use, as well as recognizing crucial psychosocial factors related to alcohol use especially during the pandemic.

None Declared

There is evidence that early traumatic experiences may have a negative impact on critical components of psychosocial adjustment, while they may also adversely affect mental health during adulthood.

The aim this study was to investigate the association of early traumatic experiences and in particular sexual abuse with well-being, self-esteem, resilience and close relationships during adulthood.

The study included 499 individuals (76.2% women), with a mean age of 24.2 years. Participants completed Early Trauma Inventory-Short form for early traumatic experiences’ assessment, Brief Resilience Scale for resilience evaluation, Mental Health Continuum-Short Form to assess well-being and Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised scale for adult romantic attachment assessment.

The majority of participants (98.2%) responded positively to at least one statement related to early traumatic experiences while 235 individuals (47.1%) reported that they had experienced sexual abuse. Furthermore, individuals who had experienced sexual abuse displayed lower levels of well-being (p<0.001), self-esteem (p<0.001) and resilience (p<0.001), but higher levels of anxious adult attachment (p<0.001) compared to individuals without such traumatic experiences.

The findings of the present study highlight the importance of timely detection and holistic and integrated management of psychological needs of individuals who have experienced early traumatic experiences and especially sexual abuse.

None Declared

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic progressive disease, which has been associated with various mental and physical health problems, including sexual disorders. However, especially among female patients the potential effects of diabetes on sexual functioning have been understudied.

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived sexual functioning in patients with diabetes mellitus compared to a group of healthy controls, as well as to explore its possible association with depression, anxiety, self-esteem, well-being and adult romantic attachement.

The study included 125 patients with diabetes and an equal number of healthy controls. All participants completed the following psychometric scales: Experiences in Close Relationships- Revised (ECR-R), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF), as well as Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) for female and male participants, respectively.

The results did not reveal a significant relationship between diabetes and sexual functioning, as no statistically significant differences emerged between patients and healthy controls neither among men nor women. However, in patients with diabetes, a positive correlation was found between perceived sexual dysfunction and depression, anxiety, and avoidant and anxious attachment, as well as a negative correlation with self-esteem and well-being.

The findings highlight the importance of investigating sexual functioning among individuals with diabetes mellitus, especially women, as well as its relationship with crucial psychological factors.

None Declared

Binge eating behaviors are associated with psychological, social, and biological factors, while it is suggested that they may be triggered by negative emotions, including depression and anxiety, and provide relief from them, which in turn may lead to reinforcement of such behaviors.

This study aimed to examine the eating habits and in particular the binge eating behaviors of a sample of adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented challenge for public health and communities worldwide with multi-level consequences on people’s lives.

The sample consisted of 196 individuals residing in Greece aged 18 to 64 years (76.5% women), who completed an anonymous questionnaire from June to July 2021. This included the following psychometric instruments: Fear of COVID-19 Scale to assess the fear related to COVID-19, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale to assess self-esteem, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 to assess anxiety, depression and stress, Binge Eating Scale to assess binge eating behaviors, UCLA Loneliness Scale for the evaluation of the perceived feeling of loneliness and Reflective Functioning Questionnaire for the assessment of reflective functioning (i.e., the ability to understand human behavior in terms of underlying mental states).

The majority of participants (86.7%) reported that during the pandemic their diet was less healthy than before the pandemic onset, while almost half (46.4%) of the participants stated that they had experiences an episode of binge eating during the past 6 months, and 36.2% that they had used self-induced vomiting in order to control their weight. Of note, the results of a multiple regression analysis revealed that higher levels of fear of the pandemic as well as of depression were independently associated with higher binge eating, with women presenting higher mean scores in the Binge Eating Scale than men. Conversely, higher self-esteem appeared to be independently associated with lower binge eating levels, thus acting as a protective factor, whereas the remaining psychometric factors were not found statistically significantly related.

In conclusion, the findings of the present study highlight the importance of identifying dysfunctional eating behaviors and related psychological factors that may potentially act as risk or protective factors, especially during the pandemic.

None Declared