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Published on: March 15, 2019
Affective-touch experiences and interpersonal space in anorexia nervosa
Federica Toppino1, Benedetta Salis1, Eugenio Scaliti2,3
1Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Via Cherasco 11, 10126, Turin, Italy.
Objectives:
The present study explored affective touch in anorexia nervosa (AN) by: (a) comparing patients with AN and healthy control subjects (HCs) on the quality and quantity of affective-touch experiences across the lifespan; (b) investigating the association between affective touch and body-image-related symptoms; (c) assessing the link between affective touch and interpersonal space (IPS).
Methods:
Participants (76 patients with AN and 77 HCs) completed self-report questionnaires measuring eating-related symptoms, anxiety, depression, and affective-touch experiences. IPS was assessed with a computer-based stop-distance task with different social conditions.
Results:
Patients with AN had higher general (i.e., anxiety and depression), and body-image-related (e.g., body checking, body dissatisfaction) symptoms than HCs; moreover, they reported lower quantity of affective touch both in childhood and adulthood and less comfort with affective touch, with a medium to large effect size; more frequent negative affective-touch experiences were also observed in patients than in HCs, with a medium effect size. In patients, lower experienced affective touch, both in childhood and adulthood, and reduced touch-related comfort were associated with larger IPS, independent of anxiety and depression, and with a high effect size after statistical adjustment. No associations with IPS emerged in HCs.
Conclusions:
The results highlighted a link between negative and reduced affective touch and social difficulties and avoidance in AN. The study remarks the relevance of affective-touch experiences and their relation with implicit body-related mechanisms, suggesting addressing early tactile experiences and interpersonal functioning in clinical interventions.
Level Of Evidence:
Level III, case-control study based on self-report questionnaires and a behavioral task.
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