Adverse childhood experiences among a treatment‐seeking sample of adults with eating disorders

AbstractPurposeThe aim of this paper was to investigate the diagnostic specificity of the self-critical and dependent depressive experiences in a clinical sample of eating disorder patients and to explore the impact of adverse childhood experiences on these dimensions of personality.MethodA sample of 94 anorexic and 61 bulimic patients meeting DSM-IV criteria and 236 matched controls were assessed with the Depressive Experience Questionnaire (DEQ), the abridged version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the AMDP Life Events Inventory. Subjects presenting a major depression or a comorbid addictive disorder were excluded from the sample using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).ResultsAnorexic and bulimic patients showed higher scores than controls on both self-criticism and dependency sub-scales of the DEQ. Bulimic patients scored significantly higher than anorexic patients on self-criticism and reported more adverse childhood experiences. Finally, negative life events correlated only with self-criticism in the whole sample.DiscussionDifferences in the DEQ Self-Criticism between anorexics and bulimics could not be accounted for by depression since bulimic patients did not show higher BDI levels compared to anorexic patients and depressive symptoms measured with the BDI were not found to be significant predictors of diagnostic grouping in a logistic multiple regression.ConclusionThis study supports the diagnostic specificity of the dependent and self-critical depressive dimensions in eating disorders and strengthens previous research on the role of early experiences in the development of these disorders.

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Mental Health Among Help-Seeking Urban Women: The Relationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Sexual Abuse, and Suicidality

Violence Against Women ◽

10.1177/1077801218761602 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 24 (16) ◽

pp. 1967-1981 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kevin Hamdullahpur ◽

Kahá:wi J. Jacobs ◽

Kathryn J. Gill

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sexual Abuse ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Teenage Pregnancy ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Treatment Seeking ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

Current Psychological

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adult mental health were explored in a sample of urban Aboriginal ( n = 83) and non-Aboriginal ( n = 89) women. Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) was associated with negative home environments, teenage pregnancy, lifetime suicide attempts, and treatment seeking. Aboriginal women with CSA witnessed higher levels of physical/sexual abuse of family members. The severity of current psychological distress was associated with a history of childhood neglect. The results indicate that CSA rarely occurs in isolation, and that multiple ACEs are strongly associated with suicide attempts and treatment seeking in adulthood. Future studies should focus on the role of CSA in suicidality, as well as familial, community, and cultural protective factors.

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