Longitudinal Bi-directional Effects of Disordered Eating, Depression and Anxiety
Francis Puccio1, Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz2, George Youssef2
1School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Objective:
The present study aims to explore the potentially longitudinal bi-directional effects of disordered eating (DE) symptoms with depression and anxiety.
Method:
Participants were 189 (49.5% male) adolescents from Melbourne, Australia. DE, depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed at approximately 15, 16.5 and 18.5 years of age.
Results:
Analysis of longitudinal bi-directional effects assessed via cross-lagged models indicated that DE symptoms of eating and shape/weight concerns were risk factors for anxiety. Results also showed that depression was a risk factor for eating concerns.
Conclusion:
Our findings provide preliminary evidence that preventative measures designed to target concerns about eating and shape/weight might be most efficacious in reducing the transmission of effects between symptoms of DE, depression and anxiety. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Related Concept Videos
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects
Bulimia Nervosa
Binge Eating Disorders
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Self-Discrepancy Theory


