Emotion-processing deficits in eating disorders
Int. J. Eat. Disord.. 2005-01-01; 37(4): 321-329
DOI: 10.1002/eat.20132
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1. Int J Eat Disord. 2005 May;37(4):321-9. doi: 10.1002/eat.20132.
Emotion-processing deficits in eating disorders.
Bydlowski S(1), Corcos M, Jeammet P, Paterniti S, Berthoz S, Laurier C, Chambry
J, Consoli SM.
Author information:
(1)Department of Psychiatry, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France.
OBJECTIVE: First, we measured both emotional awareness and alexithymia to
understand better emotion-processing deficits in eating disorder patients (EDs).
Second, we increased the reliability of the measures by limiting the influence
of confounding factors (negative affects).
METHOD: Seventy females with eating disorders were compared with 70 female
controls. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI;
depression), the Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS; anxiety), the
Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS; alexithymia), and the Level of Emotional
Awareness Scale (LEAS).
RESULTS: EDs exhibited higher alexithymia scores and lower LEAS scores, with an
inability to identify and describe their own emotions, as well as an impairment
in mentalizing others’ emotional experience. Whereas alexithymia scores were
related to depression scores, LEAS scores were not. After controlling for
depression, alexithymia scores were similar in EDs and controls.
DISCUSSION: The marked impairment in emotion processing found in EDs is
independent of affective disorders. Thus, the joint use of TAS and LEAS suggests
a global emotion-processing deficit in EDs.
Copyright 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc
DOI: 10.1002/eat.20132
PMID: 15856501 [Indexed for MEDLINE]