Biological or psychological? Effects of eating disorder psychoeducation on self-blame and recovery expectations among symptomatic individuals

Biomedical Explanations of Psychopathology and Their Implications for Attitudes and Beliefs About Mental Disorders

“…In another study, however, an examination of people with social anxiety disorder and major depression found that compared with a cognitive behavioral (CB) etiological explanation, a biomedical explanation yielded less self-blame (Lee et al 2016). Yet another study, this time among participants with elevated levels of eating disorder symptomatology, found no relationship between causal explanations (e.g., biomedical or CB) and self-blame (Farrell et al 2015). In general, the research base examining the relationships between self-directed negative social attitudes and beliefs and biomedical explanations among people affected by mental disorders appears to be relatively scant and inconsistent.…”

“…In a subsequent study, people with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder who were exposed to a biomedical explanation rated the prognosis of their disorder as more negative than those in a control condition . Farrell et al (2015) found that a biomedical explanation led people with eating disorders to be less optimistic about their own prognosis. Kemp and colleagues (2014) explored the effects of giving people with a past or current depressive episode a biomedical explanation for their depression.…”

Will a comprehensive, person‐centered, team‐based early intervention approach to first episode illness improve outcomes in eating disorders?

“…Details of such a service are listed in Figure 1, which highlights the importance of close links with primary care to facilitate early detection and early referral, the importance of active outreach and rapid engagement without waiting lists, a holistic assessment and individualized, developmentally appropriate treatment plan and the availability of evidence-based interventions which focus both on the family and the individual. Such a service is based on an illness model that emphasises malleability of biological and brain changes during early illness stages 12 and its central aim is to reduce DUED and facilitate early full recovery. The approach is pro-active and empowering.…”

Eating Disorders, Heredity and Environmental Activation: Getting Epigenetic Concepts into Practice

“…We take inspiration from several recent efforts to apply gene x environment interaction concepts clinically in the ED area. One recent study showed that an approach to ED psychoeducation that was couched in epigenetic terms (referred to as "malleable biology"), when compared to approaches framed in purely biological or cognitive terms, led to greater recovery optimism and felt self-efficacy on ED patients' part [75]. A recent paper makes a similar point, that when counseling for people affected by EDs places causal responsibility upon interacting genetic and environmental influences, it has potential to relieve blame and to legitimize patients' experiences [76].…”