Characterizing eating behavioral phenotypes in mood disorders: A cross-sectional investigation

Maladaptive eating behaviors in mood disorders are diverse and clinically relevant but have only been characterized into phenotypes based on theoretical evidence. The objective of the current study is to assess the prevalence of maladaptive eating behavior phenotypes (EBP) in mood disorders based on empirical evidence.

An online survey package including five questionnaires was administered to assess the prevalence and proportion of maladaptive eating behaviors in a mood disorder population (n = 100). Principal component analysis (PCA) and mixed measures analysis of variance (mANOVA) were conducted to characterize maladaptive EBPs.

Numerous maladaptive eating behaviors were identified in MDD and BD, including poor dietary quality, emotional eating, binge eating, and night eating behaviors. Differences between diagnostic groups are discussed. Three EBPs were characterized according to the PCA: (1) food impulsivity; (2) emotional eating; and (3) mindfulness in eating, with a significant influence of age and medication on the characterizations according to the mANOVA.

Maladaptive eating behaviors occur in mood disorders and can be characterized into distinct EBPS. These findings should be interpreted as preliminary and hypothesis-generating given the sample size, absence of a healthy comparator group, and potential confounds. As psychiatry moves toward a more comprehensive, personalized approach to diagnosis and treatment, EBPs require prospective validation in larger, controlled investigations to determine clinical relevance.