Affective factors predicting Binge Eating Disorder: The role of emotion regulation, impulsivity, and cognitive...

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is characterized by a marked loss of control over food intake, leading to episodes of excessive eating that are often followed by feelings of guilt, sadness, and disgust. These negative emotional experiences may be influenced by underlying cognitive distortions. Moreover, difficulties in utilizing effective coping mechanisms are associated with emotion dysregulation. This study aimed to investigate the complex interrelationships among BED symptoms, emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and cognitive distortions within an integrated model.

A total of 460 healthy female participants were recruited for this study. Data were collected using the Binge Eating Disorder Scale, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale-Short Form, and the Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire.

The findings indicate that higher levels of emotion dysregulation, cognitive distortions, and impulsivity significantly predict BED symptoms. Furthermore, emotion dysregulation and impulsivity were found to mediate the relationship between cognitive distortions and BED symptoms. This suggests a compounded effect, wherein elevated emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, and cognitive distortions are associated with an increase in BED symptoms.

The integrated model proposed in this study offers new insights into the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for BED symptoms, highlighting the importance of addressing the interconnected psychological factors involved.