This systematic review aimed to collect, evaluate, and synthesize the research on muscle dysmorphia (MD) post official recognition as a specifier for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in the DSM-5, and provide recommendations for future research. Literature searches were conducted in four databases to see if inclusion criteria were met. Results revealed 33 studies meeting inclusion criteria, none of which utilized DSM-5 criteria for MD and/or acknowledged the criterion in their research. Few studies acknowledged the association between MD and BDD, and the methodological quality of recent MD research was considered low due to a lack of clinical samples, measurements not using validated cutoff scores, and the research designs. In conclusion, future MD research is encouraged to utilize DSM-5 diagnostic criteria to better inform clinical practice; and significantly improve the methodological quality. As such, more effective treatment options may be developed reducing the risk of health harming consequences in these individuals.

Objective: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the nature of interventions addressing eating psychopathology in athletes, identify the characteristics of successful interventions, and review the efficacy of interventions at reducing or preventing eating psychopathology. Method: SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO were searched to identify studies addressing eating psychopathology in athletes, which included an outcome measure of disordered eating.Results: Seventeen studies (11 randomised controlled trials, six nonrandomised trials) reporting data on 13 interventions were included. The methodological quality was observed to be generally low. All interventions (11 implemented in North America) were delivered face to face in groups with variable duration and intensity. Thirteen studies reported significant reductions in athletes' eating psychopathology following the intervention, with seven reporting sustained effects (small to moderate). Successful interventions were characterised by higher intervention dosage, higher retention, and incorporated a focus on self-esteem and self-efficacy. Conclusion: The complex nature of interventions, combined with a lack of evaluation data and poor methodological quality, limits the scaling and refinement of many interventions. Future research should explore other modes of delivery, collect evaluation data, and adhere to clearer study reporting. Doing this will consequently improve the development and delivery of effective eating psychopathology interventions offered to athletes more widely.

Objective: The primary aim was to assess the feasibility of undertaking a study evaluating the novel Motivational and Psycho-Educational Self-Help Programme for Athletes with Mild Eating Disorder Symptoms (MOPED-A).A mixed-methods approach was adopted to explore the feasibility of recruiting and retaining participants, and to evaluate the acceptability of measures, procedures and the intervention. A secondary aim was to explore the potential efficacy of MOPED-A in reducing athletes' eating disorder symptoms.Method: Thirty-five athletes were recruited. Participation involved completing MOPED-A over a 6-week period and completing self-report measures at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2) and 4-week follow-up (T3). A subsample (n = 15) completed an interview at T2. Results: Retention was good throughout the study (n = 28; 80%). Quantitative and qualitative feedback suggested the format, delivery, content and dosage of MOPED-A were acceptable. Athletes valued that the intervention was tailored to them, and this facilitated both participation and completion. Over a third of participants reported disclosing their eating difficulties and deciding to seek further support. Large reductions in eating disorder symptoms were detected at T2 and sustained at T3. Conclusions:The MOPED-A intervention can be feasibly implemented, is acceptable to participants, and demonstrates potential for reducing symptoms in athletes. A larger, controlled trial is warranted.

No abstract

The aims of the present study were to validate the Norwegian translated Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory (MDDI) and explore the presence of muscle dysmorphia (MD) symptomatology in Norwegian gym-going men. A secondary aim was to examine differences in MD symptomatology and weekly training duration (WTD) according to the participants’ body mass index (BMI), and further investigate relationships between all measured variables. Participants (N = 124; Mage = 24.8, SD = 6.7 years) completed the translated MDDI, and according to BMI, 65 participants were of normal weight and 59 were overweight. A good fit from the confirmatory factor analysis, the results from the construct validity from the principal components analysis, and the detected good internal consistency indicate that the Norwegian translated MDDI is a valid and reliable measure for MD symptomatology. Moreover, MD symptomatology was present with mean scores of 33.7 (SD = 6.6), 15.2 (SD = 3.9), 10.4 (SD = 3.5), and 8.1 (SD = 2.6) for the MDDI total, and for the subscales drive for size (DFS), functional impairment (FI), and appearance intolerance (AI), respectively. Statistical significant differences were detected between the normal weight and overweight participants in DFS, AI, FI (d≤.4, p<.01) and in WTD (d=.7, p<.01), but not significant for the MDDI total score (d=.1, p>.05). Lastly, WTD had a statistically significant correlation with FI and BMI (p<.01); whereas BMI had a statistical significant correlation with DFS, FI, and AI (p<.05). In conclusion, the translated Norwegian MDDI was found to be valid, but additional validations are needed with larger sample sizes. The presence of MD symptomatology and WTD was higher in the overweight compared to the normal weight participants. The findings further suggest that the subscale scores might better assist practitioners in evaluating MD concerns and offer appropriate care, as a MDDI cut-off score have yet to be validated.

In order of first author surname

Eating psychopathology symptoms are common in athletes; however, it is unknown which symptoms are detected and to what extent by sport professionals. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a self-report questionnaire to explore which features of eating psychopathology in athletes are detected by sport professionals, and how observation of these symptoms might vary. Thirty-one questions were developed and 232 sport professionals (56% male) participated in the study. Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a 20-item, five-factor solution (Negative Affect, Dieting Practices, Fear of Eating in Social Contexts, Bingeing and Purging, and Compulsive Exercise). Participants most frequently reported observing athletes’ dieting practices, while symptoms of a fear of eating in social contexts were observed least frequently. This study has developed and preliminarily tested the Athlete Eating Psychopathology Observation Questionnaire (AEPOQ), which now requires further validation. The findings provide important directions for education initiatives with sport professionals regarding identification of eating psychopathology symptoms.

No abstract