Background: Suicide ideation and behaviors are directly linked to the risk of death by suicide. In Romania, as well as worldwide, increased suicide rates were observed in the recent past, more so in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of psychosocial factors, quality of life (QOL), and loneliness dimensions and adverse life antecedents on suicide ideation (SI) and prolonged sadness (PS). Methods: This cross-sectional quantitative research study used a CATI data gathering method to investigate 1102 randomly selected individuals over 18 years of age regarding various determinants of SI and PS. Data were collected in June 2021. Descriptive, inferential, and multivariate statistics were used for data analysis. Results: SI was negatively correlated with all the assessed psychosocial factors, more significantly with family relationships, wealth, health, social relationships, and affective life. Stronger correlations were observed when investigating the state of prolonged sadness, sex, and affective lives along with health and income, which were more influential. SI was negatively correlated with QOL and positively correlated with adverse life events and total loneliness scores. Lesser educated youngsters with reduced overall happiness and a history of depression, self-harm, and trauma were at greater risk of developing SI. Conclusions: This is the first national study exploring the suicide ideation and prolonged sadness in relation to psychosocial factors, quality of life, and adverse life events. These results have important implications for suicide prevention programs, which should be designed in accordance with similar studies.

Life satisfaction is increasingly used as a population-level indicator of subjective well-being and quality of life, but country-specific instruments capab

Objectives: Eating disorders negatively affect the health and the quality of the human’s life. Data on eating patterns and on mental health are scarce in the Eastern European region. The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus seriously affected all dimensions of life, including the dietary habits and the mental health status of the people. The aim of this study was to investigate which psychosocial factors were associated with disordered eating among Romanian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: A nationally representative sample of 1102 adults participated in 2021 in a telephone-based survey about eating practices and psychosocial wellbeing. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to estimate the prevalence and correlates of disordered eating among Romanian adults in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. Results: Sixty-five percent of adults reported some type of disordered eating. Men, people with more education and older adults more frequently reported overeating; women and young adults more frequently reported undereating and oscillating between over- and under-eating. There were no consistent patterns of disordered eating according to education or place of residence. People who reported undereating were also more likely to report a low quality of life, a low mood and loneliness. Undereating was also associated with adverse life events – suicide ideation, abuse, depression and prolonged sadness – except for self-harm. Conclusions: Disordered eating is a common custom. Programs are needed to prevent the initiation of disordered eating. Eating too little could be related to poverty rather than to a mental health issue; therefore, future research should include measures related to food insecurity. Keywords: Disordered eating, mental health, Romania.