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Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice

Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice

Published on: May 14, 2018

Thought-shape fusion in eating disorders.

Roz Shafran¹, Paul Robinson

¹Oxford University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK. roz.shafran@psych.ox.ac.uk

The British Journal of Clinical Psychology

|November 9, 2004

Summary

Thought-shape fusion, a cognitive distortion, is strongly linked to eating disorder symptoms. Individuals with eating disorders exhibit higher levels of this distortion compared to healthy controls.

Area of Science:

Psychology
Psychiatry
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Background:

Cognitive distortions play a significant role in the development and maintenance of psychopathology.
Thought-shape fusion, specifically, links beliefs about body shape and weight to thoughts about one's own body.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the association between thought-shape fusion and eating disorder psychopathology.
To compare the prevalence of thought-shape fusion in individuals with and without eating disorders.

Main Methods:

A cross-sectional study involving 42 women with eating disorders and 42 age-matched controls.
Self-report questionnaires assessed thought-shape fusion, eating disorder symptoms, body checking/avoidance, and depression.

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Main Results:

Significant positive association found between thought-shape fusion and eating disorder psychopathology.
Thought-shape fusion levels were significantly higher in the eating disorder group compared to controls.
Associations remained significant after controlling for depression.

Conclusions:

Thought-shape fusion is a relevant cognitive distortion in eating disorders, potentially reflecting overvaluation of shape and weight.
Directly addressing thought-shape fusion may be crucial for treating core eating disorder psychopathology.