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A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: May 10, 2022
Social emotional functioning and cognitive styles in eating disorders
Amy Harrison1, Kate Tchanturia, Ulrike Naumann
1Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating Disorders, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. amy.harrison@kcl.ac.uk
The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|July 19, 2012
Summary
Eating disorders (EDs) are linked to fragmented cognitive styles and social emotional difficulties. These traits may be enduring, influencing illness severity and chronicity, and should be addressed in treatment.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Contemporary eating disorder (ED) models propose that cognitive style (weak coherence, poor set shifting) and social emotional difficulties contribute to ED maintenance.
- Understanding the interplay between these factors is crucial for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the factor structure of cognitive and social emotional functioning in individuals with EDs.
- To determine if specific cognitive or social emotional profiles correlate with more severe and chronic ED illness.
- To compare these profiles in individuals with EDs, those recovered from EDs, and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional design comparing 100 individuals with EDs, 35 recovered from EDs, and 90 healthy controls (HCs).
- Utilized a comprehensive battery of tests assessing set shifting, coherence, and social emotional functioning.
- Principal components analysis (PCA) was employed to identify underlying cognitive and social emotional factors.
Main Results:
- No significant correlations were found between cognitive and social emotional variables.
- PCA revealed three distinct components: a fragmented perseverative cognitive style (higher in ED group), a global flexible cognitive style (higher in HCs), and a social emotional difficulties profile (higher in ED group).
- Individuals with EDs scoring highest on the fragmented perseverative cognitive style and social emotional difficulties exhibited more severe and chronic illness. Those recovered did not differ significantly from the acute ED group, suggesting a potential trait-like association.
Conclusions:
- Findings support Schmidt and Treasure's (2006) ED maintenance model.
- Both cognitive and social emotional functioning are implicated in EDs and should be integrated into therapeutic interventions.
- The identified cognitive and social emotional profiles may represent enduring traits associated with eating disorders.
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