An investigation of indirect effects of personality features on anorexia nervosa severity through interoceptive dysfunction in individuals with lifetime anorexia nervosa diagnoses

Abstract

Objective: This study examined a hypothesized pathway by which interoceptive dysfunction accounted for associations between personality features (harm avoidance, self-directedness, and perfectionism) and anorexia nervosa (AN) severity (indicated by drive for thinness, eating disorder-related preoccupations and rituals, and body mass index).Method: The study sample (n = 270, mean age = 28.47, 95.2% female, 98% White/Caucasian) consisted of probands and biological relatives who met DSM-IV criteria for lifetime diagnoses of AN (omitting criterion D, amenorrhea) drawn from the Price Foundation Anorexia Nervosa Affected Relative Pairs Study (AN-ARP). Participants completed measures assessing personality, interoceptive dysfunction, and eating pathology.Results: Associations between personality features of low self-directedness and high perfectionism and indicators of AN severity (drive for thinness and eating disorder-related preoccupations and rituals) were significant, as were the hypothesized indirect pathways through interoceptive dysfunction. Neither harm avoidance nor body mass index was significantly related to other study variables, and the proposed indirect pathways involving these variables were not significant.Discussion: Findings suggest that certain personality features may relate to AN severity, in part, through their associations with interoceptive dysfunction. Future research should examine prospective associations and the value of interventions targeting interoceptive dysfunction for interrupting the link between personality and AN severity. K E Y W O R D Sanorexia nervosa, body mass index, feeding and eating disorders, perfectionism, personality, thinness

The predictive value of the early maladaptive schemas in social situations in anorexia nervosa

“…In line with previous literature findings, our AN patients presented a lower mood baseline and a higher EMSs score compared with HCs (Damiano et al, ; Meehan, Loeb, Roberto, & Attia, ). This is consistent with previous literature that showed how AN patients present a specific temperamental, cognitive, and behavioural profile with a rigid approach to changes that can affect a mild, flexible mind state as well as their connection with feelings and emotions (Duffy et al, ; Kaye et al, ; Oldershaw, Startup, & Lavender, ; Steinglass & Foerde, ). The literature has already shown that the AN patients present lower self‐esteem, higher fear of negative evaluation, and higher social physical comparison than controls, which are feelings that can affect social relationships (Cardi et al, ; Duarte, Ferreira, & Pinto‐Gouveia, ).…”

COVID‐19 and eating disorders during confinement: Analysis of factors associated with resilience and aggravation of symptoms

“…A novel feature of the present work was the association of symptom deterioration with low levels of self‐directedness. This aligns with other work in confinement Moccia et al (2020) and to the extensive literature associating in ED lower self‐directedness to poorer prognosis (Duffy et al, 2019; Krug et al, 2011). Age and ED severity, named drive for thinness (EDI‐2), were also related with COVID‐19 concerns.…”

The impact of duration of illness on treatment nonresponse and drop‐out: Exploring the relevance of enduring eating disorder concept

“…AN, anorexia nervosa; BED, binge eating disorder; BN, bulimia nervosa; OSFED, other specified feeding and eating disorder [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] directedness, in BN, were also found as predictors of therapy-response. These findings also align with previous literature (Amianto, Spalatro, Ottone, Abbate Daga, & Fassino, 2017;Duffy et al, 2019;Haynos et al, 2017Haynos et al, , 2018.…”