Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in female patients with an eating disorder with or without impulsive non‐suicidal self‐injury

AbstractGene variants of the serotonin transporter have been associated with vulnerability to affective disorders. In particular, the presence of one or two copies of the short (s) allele of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism has been associated with reduced serotonin transporter expression and function, and vulnerability to affective disorders. To test for an association between variants of the serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and relevant clinical features of borderline personality disorder (BPD), a psychiatric disorder with symptoms characteristic for serotonin dysfunction, 77 women with BPD were genotyped in the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. They rated their subjective experience of borderline-specific, depressive, anxious and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and were interviewed about lifetime incidence of suicide attempts and self-harming acts. Carriers of two s alleles of the 5-HTTLPR reported more symptoms of borderline, depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviours, but not of suicidal and self-injury behaviour, compared to carriers of a long (l) allele. This indicates that the 5-HTTLPR ss homozygous genotype might influence serotonin function affecting susceptibility to both borderline-specific, depressive, anxious and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in BPD, and leading to a more severe symptomatology related to these clinical features. Further, this suggests that 5-HTT gene variants may not be as influential on suicidal and self-injury behaviour in BPD.

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Depression mediates the relationship between obsessive–compulsive symptoms and eating disorder symptoms in an inpatient sample

Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders ◽

10.1016/j.jocrd.2011.11.006 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 62-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Eun Ha Kim ◽

Chad Ebesutani ◽

David Wall ◽

Bunmi O. Olatunji

Keyword(s):

Eating Disorder ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms ◽

Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽

The Relationship

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Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in young women affected with anorexia nervosa, and their relationship with personality, psychopathology, and attachment style

Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia Bulimia and Obesity ◽

10.1007/s40519-021-01252-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Federico Amianto ◽

Ilaria Secci ◽

Luca Arletti ◽

Chiara Davico ◽

Giovanni Abbate Daga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Attachment Style ◽

Young Women ◽

Insecure Attachment ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms ◽

Need For Approval ◽

Tas 20

Abstract Purpose Obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OC) are associated with greater morbidity and worse prognosis in anorexia nervosa (AN). We assessed the presence of non-eating OC in participants with AN and related them with their psychopathology, personality, and attachment style features. Methods Young women with AN (N = 41, 30 restrictor and 11 binge-purging type) were assessed on the Yale-Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). These participants with AN and 82 healthy controls (HC) completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ). The association between Y-BOCS scores and indexes of psychopathology, personality, and attachment were examined. Results AN had significantly higher scores than HC on the EDI-2, SCL-90, TAS-20, ASQ-Need for Approval, and TCI-Harm Avoidance and Self-directedness. The Y-BOCS scores were significantly correlated with ASQ-Need for Approval, TAS-20-Difficulty in Describing Feelings, SCL-90-Phobic Anxiety, and Anxiety, EDI-2-Drive to Thinness, and Asceticism. Need for Approval displayed the strongest correlation with OC symptoms. Difficulty in describing feelings displayed the strongest correlation with compulsive OC symptoms. Conclusions OC traits in AN were primarily associated with measures of insecure attachment rather than to their eating disorder or general psychopathology. Therapeutic approaches to correcting insecure attachment may be considered as a possible approach to treating AN patients with OC. The study supports a new psychopathological perspective for understanding the meaning of OC symptoms in AN. Level of evidence III: Evidence obtained from cohort or case–control analytic studies.

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