Emotional development in eating disorders: A qualitative metasynthesis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Eating Disorders Research

Background:

• Emotions are recognized as a significant factor in the development and maintenance of eating disorders.
• Understanding the subjective emotional experiences and coping strategies of individuals with eating disorders is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and metasynthesize qualitative studies on the role of emotions in eating disorders.
• To gain deeper insights into how individuals with eating disorders experience and manage emotions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across major databases (Web of Science, PsychInfo, EMBASE, Medline, Cochrane Library).
• Meta-ethnography used for data synthesis, including identifying key findings, creating metaphors, and applying reciprocal translation and lines of argument.
• Inclusion of 16 relevant qualitative studies.

Main Results:

• Four second-order themes emerged: negative emotional environments, interpersonal vulnerability, experiencing negative emotions in social contexts, and emotion management.
• A third-order theme identified was the emotional self within a social environment.
• The primary finding indicates that eating disorders are utilized as a strategy to manage negative emotions.

Conclusions:

• This is the first metasynthesis focusing on emotions and eating disorders, underscoring their critical role in the disorder's trajectory.
• A model suggests that impaired childhood emotional development leads to poor socioemotional bonds and difficulties in managing negative emotions.
• Eating disorders serve as a maladaptive coping mechanism for emotional distress.