Interpersonal dysfunction and affect-regulation difficulties in disordered eating among men and women

Contribution of Interpersonal Problems to Eating Disorder Psychopathology via Negative Affect in Treatment‐seeking Men and Women: Testing the Validity of the Interpersonal Model in an Understudied Population

“…Most previous studies of men with ED were limited by small sample sizes and tend to be drawn from non‐clinical populations (Ambwani et al ., ; Lavender & Anderson, ; Lavender, De Young, & Anderson, ; Striegel‐Moore et al ., ; Woodside et al ., ). Our study had an adequate number of male participants with a matched sample of women.…”

“…Few studies that have been conducted in comparing men and women with ED suggest that there may be similarities between genders in how interpersonal and emotional functioning manifest. For example, Ambwani, Snale, Thohmas, Hopwood, and Grilo (2014) examined the relationship in interpersonal functioning and affect regulation in undergraduate men and women and found no gender differences between interpersonal problems and emotion regulation and ED psychopathology, after controlling for differences in body mass index and negative affect. Similarly, Tanofsky, Wilfley, Spurrell, Welch, and Brownell (1997) did not find any gender differences in interpersonal problems, ED behaviour and eating-related psychopathology among a sample of men and women with bingeeating disorder.…”

“…For example, the study by Ambwani et al . () found no differences in negative affect between men and women, but they did find that men had lower levels than women when it came to awareness of emotional responses and impulse control when experiencing negative emotions; the effect sizes for these gender differences were small (Ambwani et al ., ). Other researchers found that men compared with women had greater difficulties engaging in goal‐directed behaviour, had more difficulties with emotional clarity and limited access to emotion regulation strategies (Lafrance Robinson, Kosmerly, Mansfield‐Green, & Lafrance, ; Weinberg & Klonsky, ).…”

“…As mentioned in the recent study by Ambwani et al . () on undergraduates, no gender differences were found; however, no studies have directly compared treatment‐seeking men and women on specific types of interpersonal tendencies. Interpersonal patterns, such as dominance/submissiveness and affiliation/interpersonal detachment, have been linked to ED psychopathology in women.…”

Does the Interpersonal Model Generalize to Obesity Without Binge Eating?

“…Elliott et al () found that negative affect mediated the relation between interpersonal problems and binge eating in a sample of non treatment‐seeking youth. Ambwani, Slane, Thomas, Hopwood, and Grilo () found that interpersonal problems predicted disordered eating, measured with the EDE‐Q, in a sample of undergraduate students, after controlling for variability in BMI and negative affect. Ansell, Grilo, and White () found that negative/depressive affect mediated the relationship between interpersonal problems on binge eating in a community sample of 350 adult women.…”