New Research: The Suicide Risk Nobody Talks About in Eating Disorders with Dr Una Foye

Anecdotally, we know there is a correlation between eating disorders and suicide, yet until now, there has been no published research to show that. This week on the Full of Beans Podcast, Han is joined by Dr Una Foye, a Research Fellow at King's College London, who is leading the qualitative arm of an MQ-funded study exploring why people with eating disorders are at higher risk of suicide and self-harm.We talk about the groundbreaking, and long overdue, research that finally puts lived experience voices at the centre of this conversation, why the data has always been harder to read than it should be, and what the findings mean for the way we think about treatment, recovery, and care.In this episode, we explore:The research gap: Why there has been almost no qualitative work asking people with lived experience about the link between eating disorders and suicidality, until now.The hidden statistics: Why deaths connected to eating disorders and suicide are so often recorded under other causes, and what stigma and the historic criminalisation of suicide have to do with it.The complexity of risk: How the eating disorder itself, identity loss, social isolation, and the function it serves can increase suicidal thoughts.Recovery as a risky period: How the removal of support at the point of weight restoration can leave people more vulnerable, not less.Intersectionality and invisibility: How being male, from a minoritised ethnic background, living in a larger body, or being autistic or neurodivergent can compound the risk, and the silence.Siloed services: Why being told "you can't be treated here if you're also self-harming" misses the point entirely, and what holistic, joined-up care could look like instead.Asking the question: Why clinicians are often frightened to ask about suicidality, and why not asking is far more dangerous than asking.Hope in small things: The realisation that support doesn't need to be dramatic - but simple changes and communication can help. Lived experience at the centre: Why Una is so passionate about lived experience and how it is the thing which shapes everything she does.Connect with Us:Subscribe to the Full of Beans PodcastFollow Full of Beans on InstagramCheck out our websiteListen on YouTubeConnect with Una via the KCL website⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, self-harm and suicide. Please look after yourself as you listen.If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share to help us spread awareness.Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛