A Cognitive-Behavioural Program (One Day a Week) for Patients With Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder: Short-Term Follow-up Data

This paper describes an innovative cognitive behavioural program for the treatment of patients with binge eating disorder in the University Psychiatric Center K.U. Leuven Campus Kortenberg in Belgium. The program runs one day a week during 6 months and consists of 24 sessions. The most important therapeutic goals are: (1) normalization of eating habits and stopping the binge eating episodes; (2) promoting physical activity and a positive body experience; (3) learning specific skills such as assertivity, installing a functional self-evaluation system; learning to identify, tolerate and express negative emotions, promoting self-esteem and prevention of relapse. Overall, the goal is to promote both physical and psychological well-being and quality of life. Some preliminary research data on the effectiveness of this program are described. Despite a rather limited weight loss, the number of binges per week decreased significantly, which was the main therapeutic goal of the treatment. Furthermore, the results show some promising improvements on different psychological parameters in BED patients

Dissociative experiences in the general population in the Netherlands and Belgium: a study with the Dissociative Questionaire (DIS-Q)

p. 180-184This article describes the results of the first European study on the prevalence of dissociative experiences in the general population of Belgium (Flanders) and the Netherlands. Dissociative experiences were assessed with a new self-reporting dissociation questionnaire (DIS-Q). The DIS-Q has been administered to a representative sample of the Dutch and Flemish population (N=374). The results show that dissociative experiences are quite common in the general population, and that their frequency is declining with age. About 3 percent of the population (the majority men) reports serious dissociative phenomena, and 1 percent shows scores as high as patients with multiple personality disorder. These findings suggest that dissociative disorders are seriously under-diagnosed by mental health professionals

Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of eating disorder patients treated in the specialized residential settings in Belgium

Introduction Epidemiologic information on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in eating disorders in Western European countries are scarce. Purpose In this study, we report demographic and clinical characteristics of eating disorder (ED) patients undergoing treatment in five specialized ED centers in Flanders (Belgium). Method Data from 642 ED patients were collected by means of a structured questionnaire. Results Data show that 93.8% of patients are female, with an average age of 22.6 years. The largest subgroup in our sample suffers from anorexia nervosa, namely 52.8%. Bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED) and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) account for 17.7%, 10.7% and 18.8% of the sample, respectively. Mean age of onset was 17 years. Mean duration of illness was 5.6 years, but 20.2% of patients had their illness for over 8 years. Anorexia nervosa patients of the restricting type (AN-R) have the shortest duration of illness. BED patients stood out because they were older on average, more often in a relationship and more often in ambulatory treatment. 70% of patients over 20 years old completed higher education, but one-third of this group was unemployed and/or disabled. Remarkably, ED patients grow more up in intact families compared to the general population. Conclusions Epidemiology of ED patients in treatment in Flanders (Belgium) seems to resemble worldwide findings. The long duration of illness, the common evolution towards chronicity and the early work impairment underline the severe personal and societal impact of ED and call to the need for early detection and treatment of these patients

Body Experience and Mirror Behaviour in Female Eating Disorders Patients and non Clinical Subjects

Recently the attention for mirror exercises in therapies targeted specifically to body experience concerns has increased. This retrospective study will explore the mirror behaviour of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and non-clinical female subjects (CG) and investigate whether mirror avoidance or checking are related to negative body experiences. The group of eating disorders consisted of 560 AN and 314 BN patients. The control group consisted of 1151 female subjects. The Body Attitude Test and the Eating Disorder Inventory subscales drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction were used. To explore the mirror behaviour, one item of the Body Attitude Test ‘I am observing my appearance in the mirror’ was used. Nonparametric analyses (Spearman rho correlations, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann Whitney test) were used because of the categorical data. BN patients observed their body more often in the mirror than AN patients and the control subjects do. Age and BMI showed no significant main effect of mirror frequency. The relation between the frequency of mirror behaviour and body experience were significant but low (under .40). AN patients and control subjects with a mirror checking behaviour had a more negative body experience than those with mirror avoidance behaviour. In the BN group, no differences were found. There is support to integrate mirror exercises in a treatment of eating disorder patients. From a clinical point, mirror exercises are preferably combined with a body oriented therapy within a multidimensional cognitive behavioural approach. Recommendations for mirror exercises based on the clinical experience are given

Child Trauma Experiences and Dissociative Symptoms in Women with Eating Disorders: Case-Control Study.

Background: many people with different diagnoses, including eating disorders, have suffered traumatic experiences in childhood. Method: a case-control study was performed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of child trauma and dissociative symptoms in people with eating disorders and compare the results obtained with a control group. Participants were administered the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Disorders (SCID-II) to confirm diagnostic criteria and explore possible comorbidities. Traumatic experiences in childhood were evaluated with the Child Trauma Questionnaire in its abbreviated version (CTQ-SF), psychoform dissociation was measured with the Scale of Dissociative Experiences (DES-II) and somatoform dissociation with the Somatoform Dissociation Scale (SDQ-20). Results: women with eating disorders reported a greater severity and higher prevalence of child trauma than the control group. Significant differences were found by groups in dissociative symptoms. Conclusions: our results, in a Spanish sample, confirm the findings of previous studies.2020-2

Mediating Factors between Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Eating Disorders Development: A Systematic Review

Background: Many people with eating disorders often report having suffered some kind of childhood trauma. For this reason, many studies have attempted to explore the mediating factors between traumatic experiences and the development of eating disorders. The aim of our study is to conduct a systematic review of published works on the mediating factors between childhood trauma and the development of eating disorders. Method: This review was carried out up to 5 December, 2020, using the databases PsycInfo and PubMed, combining the keywords, and applying a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: A total of 18 articles were retrieved. After the articles were analyzed, a set of mediating factors between childhood trauma and the development of eating disorders was established, including pathological dissociation, difficulty with emotion self-regulation, body dissatisfaction, negative affect/depression, anxiety, general distress, self-criticism, and alexithymia, among others. Conclusions: In addition to evaluating trauma in eating disorders, these results highlight the importance of paying special attention to the presence of various possible mediating factors, which must be taken into account in the planning of therapeutic treatment. Identifying symptoms of trauma or eating disorders early on could prevent onset of more severe psychopathology during adulthood.2020-2

Changes in physical activity, physical fitness, self-perception and quality of life following a six-month physical activity counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy program in outpatients with binge eating disorder

The aim of the current study was to explore the associations between changes in the number of binges, physical activity participation, physical fitness, physical self-perception and quality of life following a six-month physical activity counseling and cognitive behavioral program in patients with binge eating disorder (BED). In total 34 (31 women) outpatients with BED (38.5±10.7 years) completed a six-month one-day per week group-based program. Participants completed the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, the Baecke Physical Activity questionnaire, the Physical Self Perception Profile and performed a six-minute walk test (6MWT) at baseline, after three and six months. Except for physical activity at work, physical strength and self-worth perception, all parameters significantly improved after six months. The effect sizes ranged from −0.33 for the number of binges to 1.67 for participation in sports activities. Significant increases in leisure time physical activity were associated with significant improvements in physical health related quality of life, perceived sports competence and physical fitness and in perceived body attractiveness. The significant reduction in the number of binges was associated with significant improvements in physical health related quality of life. Future research should focus on detailing which techniques can stimulate physical activity participation in patients with BED

Calix[6]arenes with halogen bond donor groups as selective and efficient anion transporters

Here we present the anion binding and anion transport properties of a series of calix[6]arenes decorated on their small rim with either halogen bond or hydrogen bond donating groups. We show that the halogen bond donating iodotriazole groups enable highly selective transport of chloride and nitrate anions, without transport of protons or hydroxide, at rates similar to those observed with thiourea or squaramide groups

Methyltransferase-directed covalent coupling of fluorophores to DNA

Highly efficient DNA labelling using an enzymatically-directed, strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition.</p

Relación entre maltrato infantil y experiencias disociativas psicomorfas en mujeres con trastornos de la conducta alimentaria.

Introducción: La exposición temprana a experiencias traumáticas, tienen un profundo efecto negativo en la vida de las personas. Estudios sobre el tema, han sugerido que la disociación juega un papel mediador importante entre la presencia de trauma infantil y un posterior desarrollo de un trastorno de la conducta alimentaria (TCA) y que posiblemente, no tenerlo en cuenta a la hora de intervenir, puede interferir en que el tratamiento se desarrolle con éxito. Objetivo: Explorar la relación entre trauma infantil y síntomas disociativos psicomorfos en personas con TCA y la relación entre subtipo de TCA y tipo de maltrato. Material y Método: Se reclutaron a 16 mujeres con edad media de 31,06 años (DT= 10,75 ) de varios hospitales y centros de la Comunidad de Madrid con diagnóstico de TCA según criterios DSM- 5. Se administraron los cuestionarios DES II para explorar sintomatología disociativa y CTQ- SF para evaluar el maltrato sufrido en la infancia. Los datos se analizaron con el programa SPSS para Windows en su versión 24,0. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron que las pacientes que habían sufrido abuso físico y/o negligencia emocional en la infancia mostraban más sintomatología disociativa que en los casos en los que la experiencia traumática fue abuso emocional, sexual o negligencia física. En cuanto a los subtipos de TCA, parece que no hay relación en nuestra muestra entre el subtipo de TCA y los tipos de trauma infantil. Tampoco se encontró una relación significativa entre los subtipos de TCA y sintomatología disociativa pero estos datos pueden deberse al tamaño de la muestra. Conclusión: Las experiencias traumáticas en la infancia y los síntomas disociativos psicomorfos, parecen ser aspectos relevantes en el desarrollo de un TCA por lo que tener en cuenta éstos aspectos para el tratamiento puede hacer que este sea más exitoso.2018-201