Orthorexia Nervosa: An Examination of the Prevalence, Correlates, and Associated Impairment in a University Sample

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Hayes ◽  
Monica S. Wu ◽  
Alessandro S. De Nadai ◽  
Eric A. Storch

Orthorexia nervosa is characterized by an obsession with eating “pure” or “healthy” foods. Despite emergent interest, few studies have been published about orthorexia to date. This study examined the phenomenology, correlates, and associated impairment of orthorexia in 404 undergraduate students. A battery of self-report questionnaires assessed orthorexia symptoms, related functional impairment, disordered eating, perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, appearance anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. In total, 35.4% of participants endorsed elevated orthorexia symptoms, with primary concerns related to guilt associated with dietary transgressions and experiencing control when eating in a desired manner. Orthorexia symptoms demonstrated small to medium correlations with associated impairment variables, perfectionism, disordered eating, appearance anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Mean differences were observed across all variables (except depressive symptoms) between individuals elevated and not elevated on orthorexia symptoms. Collectively, this study suggests a relatively high frequency of orthorexia symptoms using current methods (which have significant limitations) and demonstrate fairly modest associations with psychological symptomology.

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne M. Drummond ◽  
Anusha Pillay ◽  
Peter Kolb ◽  
Shashi Rani

Aims and MethodA naturalistic study was conducted to examine the outcome on self-report and observer-rated measures in patients with severe, chronic, resistant obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) admitted to a specialised in-patient unit.ResultsTwenty-six patients were admitted over the study period. The mean age of all patients was 37 years (s.d.=13.8, range 18–61 years) and they had a mean duration of OCD of 18.4 years (s.d.=10.9, range 4–40 years). Instruments measuring severity demonstrated a 37–67% reduction in obsessive–compulsive symptoms and a 64% reduction in depressive symptoms after an average of almost 15 weeks in hospital.Clinical ImplicationsThis study demonstrates that specialised in-patient care can benefit a small group of severely ill patients with OCD who fail to respond to treatment in primary and secondary care.


Crisis ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 272-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison S. Christian ◽  
Kristen M. McCabe

Background: Deliberate self-harm (DSH) occurs with high frequency among clinical and nonclinical youth populations. Although depression has been consistently linked with the behavior, not all depressed individuals engage in DSH. Aims: The current study examined maladaptive coping strategies (i.e., self-blame, distancing, and self-isolation) as mediators between depression and DSH among undergraduate students. Methods: 202 students from undergraduate psychology courses at a private university in Southern California (77.7% women) completed anonymous self-report measures. Results: A hierarchical regression model found no differences in DSH history across demographic variables. Among coping variables, self-isolation alone was significantly related to DSH. A full meditational model was supported: Depressive symptoms were significantly related to DSH, but adding self-isolation to the model rendered the relationship nonsignificant. Limitations: The cross-sectional study design prevents determination of whether a casual relation exists between self-isolation and DSH, and obscures the direction of that relationship. Conclusions: Results suggest targeting self-isolation as a means of DSH prevention and intervention among nonclinical, youth populations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-105
Author(s):  
Rachelle Pullmer ◽  
Shannon L Zaitsoff ◽  
Jennifer S Coelho

Research in adults demonstrates a positive association among obsessive–compulsive symptoms, eating pathology, cognitive distortions, and comorbid depressive symptoms. Given that adolescence is characterized by unique and rapid changes in biopsychosocial processes, it is imperative to elucidate the relationship between these variables in youth. In this cross-sectional study, we explored whether obsessive–compulsive symptoms, thought–action fusion, thought–shape fusion, and eating pathology would be positively associated with and predict depressive symptoms in a school-based community sample of adolescents ( n = 86; Mage = 15.60). All study variables were positively correlated with depressive symptoms. Results indicated that obsessive–compulsive symptoms, thought–shape fusion, and eating pathology explained a significant proportion of variance in depressive symptoms, whereas thought–action fusion did not. In accordance with the cognitive behavioral model of psychopathology, these findings highlight the relationships between key interrelated correlates of depressive symptoms that may be pertinent targets for prevention and treatment efforts in adolescents.


2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 260-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Berle ◽  
Alex Blaszczynski ◽  
Danielle A. Einstein ◽  
Ross G. Menzies

AbstractThought–action fusion (TAF), a belief that one's thoughts can either increase the likelihood of a given event or imply the immorality of one's character, is associated with a range of disorders, but has not yet been investigated in relation to psychosis. We sought to determine whether TAF beliefs are endorsed by individuals with chronic schizophrenia. Twenty-seven adults with chronic schizophrenia completed self-report measures of TAF, magical ideation, delusional beliefs and obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Scores were compared with a gendermatched nonclinical group (n = 27) and associations between self-report measures were investigated for the chronic schizophrenia sample. TAF Likelihood–Others, magical ideation and obsessive–compulsive symptoms were endorsed to a greater extent by those with chronic schizophrenia than by controls. The participants with chronic schizophrenia however, did not generally endorse TAF statements at level greater than ‘neutral’. TAF Moral, magical ideation and obsessive– compulsive symptoms were associated with scores on the delusional beliefs measure. We conclude that TAF beliefs may not especially characterise the thinking styles of those with schizophrenia. These findings await replication using a larger sample.


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
E. Oral ◽  
E. Ozan ◽  
E. Deveci ◽  
N. Aydın ◽  
I. Kirpinar

Previous studies have suggested that OCD has comorbidity with bipolar disorder (BD) (1,2). We evaluated the three bipolar OCD cases.C1: Because of the OCD symptoms Chlomipramine was started. Her OCD symptoms improved in several days but manic symptoms was apeeared, switched to Lithium Carbonate. In her out patient exams, manic and obsessive compulsive symptoms were almost never observed simultaneously at the course.C2: In 2003, her complaints started as combined OCD and Manic symptoms, Risperidon and Lithium carbonate were started, manic and OCD symptoms improved. In 2005, OCD and Depressive symptoms appeared together. She got improved with Lithium Carbonate and Chlomipramine. She had one episode with obsessive and manic symptoms or obsessive and depressive symptoms every year till now. Her uncle had Depression and her aunt had Bipolar disorder.C3: Because of his OCD symptoms we prescribed SSRI and lower dose antipsychotic. At that time he hospitalized for his manic symptoms, his OCD was partially remitted. His manic symptoms improved with Lithium carbonate1200p/d. He had resistant obsessive compulsive symptoms and episodic manic symptoms. His father had M. Depressive episodes.Conclusion:Our cases suggest that bipolar OCD has episodic course, treatment resistant symtomatology, high family loading and high frequency of recurrence.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania Moretta ◽  
Giulia Buodo

We investigated the relationships and diagnostic power of symptoms associated with affective disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and drug addictions on Internet use disorder. Moreover, we tested whether Internet use disorder is characterized by a specific network of symptoms. One-hundred-and-four young adults (78 women) were assessed in laboratory using self-report measures of Internet addiction, alcohol use disorder, cannabis abuse, depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, impulsiveness, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Only hoarding, obsessing, and depression symptoms were positively linked to Internet use disorder severity, with hoarding having greater power and accuracy than other obsessive-compulsive and affective symptoms. Only individuals with mild-moderate Internet use disorder were characterized by a network of strong and positive associations of affective and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. These findings may encourage future longitudinal studies aimed at identifying potential clinical criteria for the diagnosis of Internet use disorder and treatment targets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liat Korn ◽  
Miriam Billig ◽  
Gil Zukerman

Introduction: We examined how community type, residence attachment, and religiosity contribute to resilience to depressive symptoms, psychosomatic complaints, residential stress, and avoidance behavior among students exposed to terror.Methods: Undergraduate students from Ariel University (N = 1,413; 62.7% females; Mage = 26.5; SD = 6.03) completed a self-report questionnaire on socio-demographics, terror exposure, place attachment, and depressive/psychosomatic symptoms. Participants were divided into three residential groups: “Ariel,” “Small settlement communities in Judea and Samaria” or “Other places in Israel.”Results: Participants from small settlement communities in Judea and Samaria showed significantly fewer depressive symptoms and greater adjustment– less avoidance, psychosomatic symptoms, and residential stress– compared to those living in Ariel or other places in Israel, despite significantly higher exposure to terror.Conclusion: Greater religiosity and residence attachment may protect against depressive symptom development following terror exposure. Secular, temporary residents living in highly terror-exposed areas should be targeted for community strengthening interventions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
John Paulson

Previous research has documented similarities between symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Anorexia Nervosa, and Bulimia Nervosa and elevated comorbidity between these conditions in clinical samples, with the relationship between OCD and Anorexia being stronger than between OCD and Bulimia. Researchers adopting a continuum view of psychopathology have also found that individuals with sub-clinical expressions of obsessive-compulsive symptoms resemble their clinical counterparts in several ways. The goal of the current study was to explore whether or not the observed relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and eating disorder symptoms observed in clinical populations would also be observed in a nonclinical population. 264 participants from a college sample completed self-report measures of these symptoms. A positive correlation was found between scores on obsessive-compulsive, anorexia and bulimia instruments, and reflective of their clinical counterparts the relationship between obsessive-compulsive and anorexia symptoms was more significant than the one between obsessive compulsive symptoms and bulimia symptoms. Implications and limitations for research and clinical practice are discussed.


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