There is emerging evidence for the important role of metacognitions in the presentation of eating disorders (EDs); however it is unclear to what extent these metacogntions are transdiagnostic. This study used a mixed methods convergent design to explore this question by triangulating both qualitative and quantitative data from 27 women, aged 18-55 years, with diagnoses of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or eating disorders not otherwise specified. The results indicated that metacognitions in EDs may be transdiagnostic and may in part explain temporal migration between diagnoses and the degree of comorbidity associated with EDs.

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BackgroundThere is a need for qualitative research to help develop case conceptualisations to guide the development of Metacognitive Therapy interventions for Eating Disorders.MethodA qualitative study informed by grounded theory methodology was conducted involving open-ended interviews with 27 women aged 18–55 years, who were seeking or receiving treatment for a diagnosed ED.ResultsThe categories identified in this study appeared to be consistent with a metacognitive model including constructs of a Cognitive Attentional Syndrome and metacognitive beliefs. These categories appear to be transdiagnostic, and the interaction between the categories is proposed to explain the maintenance of EDs.ConclusionsThe transdiagnostic model proposed may be useful to guide the development of future metacognitive therapy interventions for EDs with the hope that this will lead to improved outcomes for individuals with EDs.

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