Believing emotions are uncontrollable is linked to eating disorder psychopathology via suppression and reappraisal

Background Difficulties with emotion regulation have been established as a core deficit in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, limited research has evaluated whether weight gain is associated with improvements in emotion regulation difficulties in AN and whether improvements in emotion regulation are associated with reductions in eating disorder psychopathology. The aims of this study were threefold: 1) to examine the nature and extent of emotion regulation difficulties in AN; 2) to determine whether these difficulties improved during intensive treatment for the eating disorder; and 3) to study whether improvements in emotion regulation were associated with improvements in eating disorder psychopathology. Method The participants were 108 patients who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for AN and were admitted to a specialized intensive treatment program. Self-report measures of eating disorder symptoms and difficulties with emotion regulation were administered at admission to and discharge from the program. Results Patients with the binge-purge subtype of AN reported greater difficulties with impulse control when upset and more limited access to emotion regulation strategies when experiencing negative emotions than those with the restricting subtype. Among those who completed treatment and became weight restored, improvements in emotion regulation difficulties were observed. Greater pre-to-post treatment improvements in emotional clarity and engagement in goal directed behaviours when upset were associated with greater reductions in eating disorder psychopathology during treatment. Conclusions These findings add to growing evidence suggesting that eating disorder symptoms may be related to emotion regulation difficulties in AN and that integrating strategies to address emotion regulation deficits may be important to improving treatment outcome in AN.

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Emotion regulation difficulties in anorexia nervosa: associations with improvements in eating psychopathology

10.32920/14638401 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marsha Rowsell ◽

Danielle E. MacDonald ◽

Jacqueline C. Carter

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Intensive Treatment ◽

Self Report ◽

Eating Psychopathology ◽

Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽

Core Deficit ◽

Eating Disorder Psychopathology ◽

Regulation Strategies

Background Difficulties with emotion regulation have been established as a core deficit in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, limited research has evaluated whether weight gain is associated with improvements in emotion regulation difficulties in AN and whether improvements in emotion regulation are associated with reductions in eating disorder psychopathology. The aims of this study were threefold: 1) to examine the nature and extent of emotion regulation difficulties in AN; 2) to determine whether these difficulties improved during intensive treatment for the eating disorder; and 3) to study whether improvements in emotion regulation were associated with improvements in eating disorder psychopathology. Method The participants were 108 patients who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for AN and were admitted to a specialized intensive treatment program. Self-report measures of eating disorder symptoms and difficulties with emotion regulation were administered at admission to and discharge from the program. Results Patients with the binge-purge subtype of AN reported greater difficulties with impulse control when upset and more limited access to emotion regulation strategies when experiencing negative emotions than those with the restricting subtype. Among those who completed treatment and became weight restored, improvements in emotion regulation difficulties were observed. Greater pre-to-post treatment improvements in emotional clarity and engagement in goal directed behaviours when upset were associated with greater reductions in eating disorder psychopathology during treatment. Conclusions These findings add to growing evidence suggesting that eating disorder symptoms may be related to emotion regulation difficulties in AN and that integrating strategies to address emotion regulation deficits may be important to improving treatment outcome in AN.

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The Role of Self-Criticism and Shame in Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviour Symptoms

Behaviour Change ◽

10.1017/bec.2020.16 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

S. Houazene ◽

F. Aardema ◽

J. B. Leclerc ◽

K. O'Connor

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Community Sample ◽

Self Report ◽

Cognitive Emotion Regulation ◽

Repetitive Behaviour ◽

Nail Biting ◽

Difficulties In Emotion Regulation ◽

Regulation Strategies ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), such as hair-pulling, skin-picking, and nail-biting, are non-functional habits associated with difficulties in emotion regulation. Although several models have been developed to explain the difficulties experienced by people suffering from BFRBs, a number of cognitive and emotional processes have yet to be explored. This study sought to investigate the psychological characteristics involved in the development and maintenance of BFRB symptoms. In particular, we aimed to evaluate the relationship of self-criticism, shame, and maladaptive cognitive emotion strategies with symptoms and examine if the relationship between perfectionism and symptoms was mediated by self-criticism and shame. Seventy-six participants from a community sample completed a number of self-report measures. Findings from our multivariate linear regression model supported that shame and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies significantly predicted BFRB symptoms. Results of our mediational analyses revealed that shame significantly mediated the relationship between perfectionism and BFRB symptoms. Interventions that target shame may be beneficial for treating these conditions. Future studies should replicate these findings with clinical populations and other BFRB subtypes.

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