No abstract

Recovery is still possible for anorexic patients after a period of 21 years. On the other hand, patients can relapse, becoming symptomatic again despite previously achieving recovery status. Only a few patients classified as having a poor outcome were found to seek any form of treatment, therefore, it is recommended that these patients should be monitored regularly and offered treatment whenever possible.

Due to the potential role of ritualistic body checking in the maintenance of body dissatisfaction by directing excessive attention to body shape/weight, the BCQ may prove to be a useful clinical tool in the assessment and treatment of eating disorder patients.

Objective The Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is widely used in research studies across clinical and non-clinical groups. Relatively little is known about psychometric properties of this measure and the available literature has not supported the proposed scale structure. The current study evaluated the factor structure and construct validity of the EDE-Q in a non-clinical study group of young adults. Method Participants were 801 young adults (573 females, 228 males) enrolled at a large public university in the Midwestern United States who completed the EDE-Q and a battery of behavioral and psychological measures. Results Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed an inadequate fit for the original EDE-Q structure but revealed a good fit for an alternative structure suggested by recent research with predominately overweight/obese samples. CFA supported a modified 7-item, 3-factor structure; the three factors were interpreted as dietary restraint, shape/weight overvaluation, and body dissatisfaction. Factor loadings and item intercepts were invariant across sex and overweight status. The three factors had less redundancy than the original EDE-Q scales and demonstrated improved convergent and discriminant validity in relation to relevant other measures. Discussion These factor-analytic findings, which replicate findings from studies with diverse predominately overweight/obese samples, supported a modified 7-item, 3-factor structure for the EDE-Q with improved psychometric characteristics. The findings provide further empirical support for the distinction between body dissatisfaction and overvaluation and have implications for assessment and research. These findings need to be replicated in samples of persons with eating-disorder psychopathology including those with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and allied states.

The assessment of worry among older adults typically has involved measures designed with younger cohorts. Because of special concerns in assessing older adults, modifications to existing instruments may be necessary. Addressing equivocal factor analytic data on the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) among younger adults, the authors conducted confirmatory factor analyses to evaluate the generalizability of previous models to older adults with generalized anxiety disorder. Data fit poorly with established single- and two-factor models. The single-factor model was modified, resulting in the elimination of 8 items, strong fit indices, high internal consistency, adequate test-retest reliability, and good convergent and divergent validity. Further psychometric work is required to assess whether the revised model is a more parsimonious method to assess late-life anxiety.

This study evaluated available controlled treatment studies to determine utility of pharmacotherapy for binge-eating disorder (BED). The authors identified randomized placebo-controlled trials testing pharmacotherapy-only treatments and controlled trials testing pharmacotherapy with psychotherapy treatments. Meta-analysis was performed on placebo-controlled trials with data for attrition, remission, and weight loss. Qualitative review was performed on remaining controlled treatment literature. A total of 33 studies were considered of which 14 studies with a total of 1,279 patients were included in the meta-analysis of pharmacotherapy-only treatment and 8 studies with a total of 683 patients were included in the qualitative review of pharmacotherapy combined with psychotherapy interventions. No evidence suggested significant differences between medication and placebo for attrition. Evidence suggested that pharmacological treatments have a clinically significant advantage over placebo for achieving short-term remission from binge eating (48.7% vs. 28.5%) and for weight loss, although weight losses are not substantial. No data exist to allow evaluation of longer-term effects of pharmacotherapy-only treatment for BED. Combining medications with psychotherapy interventions failed to significantly enhance binge outcomes, although specific medications (orlistat, topiramate) enhanced weight losses achieved with cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral weight loss. In summary, BED patients can be advised that certain pharmacotherapies may enhance likelihood of stopping binge eating short term, but that longer-term effects are unknown. Although some weight loss may occur, it is unlikely to be substantial with available medications. Combining medications with cognitive or behavioral treatments is unlikely to enhance binge outcomes, but specific medications (orlistat, topiramate) may enhance weight losses, albeit modestly.

No abstract

The present study examined several factor models of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), and in particular, whether a nested general factor ('g') was present, hence supporting a common pathology factor. A total of 1094 women were randomly selected by Statistics Norway and mailed a questionnaire packet. The sample was randomly split, using the first half for exploratory analyses and the second for confirmatory validation purposes. A four-factor solution received the best support, but the structure deviated from the original model of Fairburn. The internal consistency was high for the first three factors (.93, .82 and .86) and satisfactory for the fourth (.78). The additional specification of a general (g) factor improved model fit significantly, implying that the EDE-Q scores are indicators of both a general core and four primary symptom patterns. Furthermore, the g was more strongly related to predictors like age and body mass index (BMI) than the four primary factors in a full structural equation model. The validity of interpreting the global EDE-Q score as indicative of g was supported. A brief Shape and Weight Concern subscale of 11 items was strongly related to the g-factor, and may provide an abbreviated measure of overall eating disorder pathology.