Avoidance coping during mealtimes predicts higher eating disorder symptoms

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Eating disorders (EDs) involve significant mealtime anxiety, leading to food avoidance and weight loss.
• Individuals with EDs often use avoidance coping mechanisms, such as distraction, to manage meals.
• While effective short-term, avoidance coping is linked to worsening psychological symptoms in anxiety literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the short-term and long-term effects of avoidance coping on ED symptoms.
• To examine the associations between specific avoidance behaviors and ED symptomology using ecological momentary assessment (EMA).

Main Methods:

• The study involved 66 individuals diagnosed with an ED.
• Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was employed to collect real-time data on coping strategies and symptoms.
• Data were analyzed to determine short-term and long-term associations between avoidance coping and ED symptoms.

Main Results:

• Distraction during meals was associated with short-term anxiety reduction.
• Distraction and emotional avoidance predicted short-term increases in excessive exercise.
• Distraction and emotional avoidance predicted increases in bulimic symptoms one month post-EMA.

Conclusions:

• Avoidance coping during meals may exacerbate ED behaviors over the long term.
• Acceptance-based strategies, promoting approach and tolerance, may be more effective for long-term symptom reduction in EDs.
• Findings support existing literature on the detrimental effects of avoidance in psychological conditions.