Editorial: globalisation and the journal of eating disorders

Editoria

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are causing increasing problems in our society, and many approaches to treatment are used, some more successful than others. This volume provides therapists and students with practical and evidence-based guidance on diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. It builds on existing knowledge as well as the enormous wealth of clinical experience that the authors have developed over the past three decades. It assumes a basic understanding of therapeutic intervention and some clinical training. This book will be of interest not only to those clinicians who have developed a special expertise in eating disorders, but to psychologists, psychiatrists, general practitioners, dietitians, social workers, nurses, and other allied mental health practitioners as well

Neurobiology in the treatment of eating disorders

Phillipa Ha

Studies in eating disorders. The prevention of eating disorders

Phillipa Ha

Mental health impairment in underweight women: do body dissatisfaction and eating-disordered behavior play a role?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We sought to evaluate the hypothesis that mental health impairment in underweight women, where this occurs, is due to an association between low body weight and elevated levels of body dissatisfaction and/or eating-disordered behaviour.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Subgroups of underweight and normal-weight women recruited from a large, general population sample were compared on measures of body dissatisfaction, eating-disordered behaviour and mental health.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Underweight women had significantly greater impairment in mental health than normal-weight women, even after controlling for between-group differences in demographic characteristics and physical health. However, there was no evidence that higher levels of body dissatisfaction or eating-disordered behaviour accounted for this difference. Rather, underweight women had significantly lower levels of body dissatisfaction and eating-disordered behaviour than normal-weight women.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings suggest that mental health impairment in underweight women, where this occurs, is unlikely to be due to higher levels of body dissatisfaction or eating-disordered behaviour. Rather, lower levels of body dissatisfaction and eating-disordered behaviour among underweight women may counterbalance, to some extent, impairment due to other factors.</p

Suicide Rates and Antidepressant Prescribing: A Casual or Causal Relationship?

Baune and Hay discuss the strengths and limitations of an ecological study that found an inverse correlation between suicide rates and fluoxetine prescriptions

Psychometric properties of instruments assessing exercise in patients with eating disorders : a systematic review

Background: Research has identified factors specific to exercise in eating disorder patients such as affect regulation and compulsivity. Existing measures of exercise behaviour which were not originally designed for eating disorder patients may not adequately assess these factors. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and assess the psychometric properties of all self-report measures of exercise designed to be used with eating disorder patients. Method: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. MedLine, Scopus and PsycINFO were systematically searched. A total of 12 studies examining two measures, the Exercise and Eating Disorders and the Compulsive Exercise Test, met inclusion criteria. Results: Validation studies showed promising results for both tests and established internal consistency, concurrent and convergent validity, and construct validity. The factor structure of the Compulsive Exercise Test was not confirmed in the majority of the studies included in this review, while there are only two studies conducting factor analysis on the Exercise and Eating Disorders. Conclusion: The two measures identified by this systematic review represent the current research on measures of compulsive exercise for eating disorder patients. Further research is needed to confirm a factor structure and validate both the Compulsive Exercise Test and the Exercise and Eating Disorders in more diverse clinical samples

How to address physical activity and exercise during treatment from eating disorders: a scoping review

Purpose of review This scoping review aimed to provide a recent update on how to address dysfunctional physical activity and exercise (DEx), and on effects and experiences from including supervised and adapted physical activity or exercise (PAE), during treatment of eating disorders. Recent findings A systematic search for peer-reviewed publications in the period 2021--2023 generated 10 original studies and 6 reviews, including one meta-analysis (reporting according to PRISMA and SWiM). Findings showed that DEx was effectively managed by use of psychoeducation and/or PAE. Inclusion of PAE as part of treatment showed low-to-moderate impact on health and positive or neutral effects on eating disorder psychopathology. There were no reports of adverse events. For individuals with anorexia nervosa, PAE improved physical fitness with no influence on body weight or body composition unless progressive resistance training was conducted. For individuals with bulimia nervosa, DEx was reduced simultaneously with increased functional exercise and successful implementation of physical activity recommendations during treatment. Experiences by individuals with eating disorders and clinicians, including accredited exercise physiologists, pointed to positive benefits by including PAE in treatment. Summary Lack of consensus about DEx and of recommendations for PAE in official treatment guidelines hinder adequate approaches to these issues in eating disorder treatment.publishedVersio

Are poor set-shifting and central coherence associated with everyday function in anorexia nervosa? A systematic review

Background: There is increasing interest in associations between cognitive impairments and clinical symptoms in Anorexia Nervosa (AN), however, the relationship with everyday function is unclear. The current review synthesizes existing data regarding associations between scores on tests of set-shifting and central coherence and functional outcome measures for individuals with AN. Method: A systematic electronic database search yielded 13 studies which included participants with current or lifetime AN where scores on a neuropsychological test of set-shifting or central coherence were directly or indirectly compared to a functional outcome measure. Results: Associations between set-shifting and central coherence performance measures and functional outcomes were limited in number and noted only in adult or mixed-age cohorts. Associations were noted at subscale level, suggesting they are specific in nature. In younger cohorts, assessments of executive functioning in everyday life appear sensitive to cognitive-behavioral flexibility issues. Conclusions: Associations between cognitive performance and functional outcome have not been as systematically assessed in AN as in other psychiatric disorders. Key factors to address in future research include: (a) the use of function measures which are sensitive to both the level of impairment, and specific rather than general impairments (b) the ecological validity of measures, (c) the task impurity problem, especially in regard to cognitive flexibility assessment, and (d) the need to measure both cognitive deficits and strengths, because tests of specific cognitive processes may underestimate the ability to function in daily life due to compensatory strategies