Cognitive correlates of depression in patients with eating disorders

Abstract

Proceeding from a cognitive view of depression, the relationship between depression and cognitive characteristics referring to shape and weight was investigated in 99 patients with anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Significant correlations between depression and cognitive schemata were found in both patient groups. Multiple regression analysis revealed that four scales measuring cognitive features explained between 34% and 45% of the variance in the depression score. The strongest single predictor was the variable “negative body attitudes.” In conjunction with observations in cognitive‐behavioral treatments, the data indicate that the role of cognitive distortions characteristic of patients with eating disorders is crucial for the development and maintenance of depressive symptoms in these patients.

Binge eating as escape from self-awareness.

“…First, many bulimics suffer from major depression (P. J. Cooper & Fairburn, 1986; Hatsukami, Mitchell, & Eckert, 1984; Hinz & Williamson, 1987; Hudson & Pope, 1987; Laessle et al, 1988; Mitchell et al, 1986a, 1986b), and there are also reports that a minority of bulimics developed affective disorders before the onset of their eating disorders (Devlin & Walsh, 1989; Hudson & Pope, 1987).…”

Binge eating as escape from self-awareness.

“…First, many bulimics suffer from major depression (P. J. Cooper & Fairburn, 1986; Hatsukami, Mitchell, & Eckert, 1984; Hinz & Williamson, 1987; Hudson & Pope, 1987; Laessle et al, 1988; Mitchell et al, 1986a, 1986b), and there are also reports that a minority of bulimics developed affective disorders before the onset of their eating disorders (Devlin & Walsh, 1989; Hudson & Pope, 1987).…”

Body image of adolescent boys

“…In effect, adolescent boys may not objectively assess their bodies which, in turn, may result in not accepting them [7,13,26]. The fact that boys of "normal" build (Shapes 3 and 4), especially the urban ones, tended to be heavier is disquieting as it might increase the risk of uncontrolled diets, exhausting training or even of pharmacological supplements.…”

Modeling individual differences in perceptual and attentional processes related to bulimic symptoms.

“…It will be important in future research to study both dietary restriction and symptoms more specific to bulimia. Given the substantial comorbidity between eating disorders and depression (Laessle, Kittl, Fichter, & Pirke, 1988;Schlesier-Carter, Hamilton, O'Neil, Lydiard, & Malcolm, 1989), it is useful to consider whether differences between the bulimic and control groups might be due to depressive symptoms. In the present sample BDI scores did not correlate significantly with any of the cognitive measures in Table 4, and controlling for BDI did not alter the correlations between the cognitive measures and the self-report of eating disorder symptoms.…”

Binge eating as escape from self-awareness.

“…First, many bulimics suffer from major depression (P. J. Cooper & Fairburn, 1986; Hatsukami, Mitchell, & Eckert, 1984; Hinz & Williamson, 1987; Hudson & Pope, 1987; Laessle et al, 1988; Mitchell et al, 1986a, 1986b), and there are also reports that a minority of bulimics developed affective disorders before the onset of their eating disorders (Devlin & Walsh, 1989; Hudson & Pope, 1987).…”

Body image of adolescent boys

“…In effect, adolescent boys may not objectively assess their bodies which, in turn, may result in not accepting them [7,13,26]. The fact that boys of "normal" build (Shapes 3 and 4), especially the urban ones, tended to be heavier is disquieting as it might increase the risk of uncontrolled diets, exhausting training or even of pharmacological supplements.…”

Modeling individual differences in perceptual and attentional processes related to bulimic symptoms.

“…It will be important in future research to study both dietary restriction and symptoms more specific to bulimia. Given the substantial comorbidity between eating disorders and depression (Laessle, Kittl, Fichter, & Pirke, 1988;Schlesier-Carter, Hamilton, O'Neil, Lydiard, & Malcolm, 1989), it is useful to consider whether differences between the bulimic and control groups might be due to depressive symptoms. In the present sample BDI scores did not correlate significantly with any of the cognitive measures in Table 4, and controlling for BDI did not alter the correlations between the cognitive measures and the self-report of eating disorder symptoms.…”

Binge eating as escape from self-awareness.

“…First, many bulimics suffer from major depression (P. J. Cooper & Fairburn, 1986; Hatsukami, Mitchell, & Eckert, 1984; Hinz & Williamson, 1987; Hudson & Pope, 1987; Laessle et al, 1988; Mitchell et al, 1986a, 1986b), and there are also reports that a minority of bulimics developed affective disorders before the onset of their eating disorders (Devlin & Walsh, 1989; Hudson & Pope, 1987).…”

Body image of adolescent boys

“…In effect, adolescent boys may not objectively assess their bodies which, in turn, may result in not accepting them [7,13,26]. The fact that boys of "normal" build (Shapes 3 and 4), especially the urban ones, tended to be heavier is disquieting as it might increase the risk of uncontrolled diets, exhausting training or even of pharmacological supplements.…”

Modeling individual differences in perceptual and attentional processes related to bulimic symptoms.

“…It will be important in future research to study both dietary restriction and symptoms more specific to bulimia. Given the substantial comorbidity between eating disorders and depression (Laessle, Kittl, Fichter, & Pirke, 1988;Schlesier-Carter, Hamilton, O'Neil, Lydiard, & Malcolm, 1989), it is useful to consider whether differences between the bulimic and control groups might be due to depressive symptoms. In the present sample BDI scores did not correlate significantly with any of the cognitive measures in Table 4, and controlling for BDI did not alter the correlations between the cognitive measures and the self-report of eating disorder symptoms.…”