Imagine food, weight and shape: mental imagery in women with eating disorders compared with healthy controls

Abstract

Background: Research into mental disorders has found mental imagery to be a maintaining factor for psychological distress. However, studies investigating mental imagery in eating disorders are scarce. Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare spontaneous mental imagery related to eating, weight and/or appearance and intrusive prospective imagery in women with an eating disorder with female healthy controls. Methods: Spontaneous mental imagery and intrusive prospective imagery were assessed in adult women with an eating disorder (n = 29) and in female healthy controls (n = 32) using a semi-structured interview and the Impact of Future Events Scale, respectively. Results: In comparison with healthy controls, the spontaneous mental images in individuals with an eating disorder involved more sensory modalities (U = 156.50, p < .001, r = –.51), were more vivid (t (52) = 2.04, p = .047, d = .55), negative (U = 103.00, p < .001, r = –.62), and anxiety provoking (U = 158.50, p < .001, r = –.49), and were experienced with a lower sense of control (U = 215.00, p = .009, r = –.36). The emotional impact of intrusive prospective imagery (U = 105.00, p < .001, r = –.66) was also higher in individuals with an eating disorder, as was the number of negative prospective images (U = 283.00, p = .016, r = –.31). Conclusions: Our findings are consistent with previous research on mental imagery in other psychiatric disorders, and provide possibilities for incorporating imagery-based techniques in treatment interventions.

Intrusive images, autobiographical memories, and core beliefs of patients with an eating disorder

“…Overall, these findings are in line with the transdiagnostic theory of ED, which highlights the overvaluation of body shape and weight (Fairburn, 2008). Moreover, these results replicate earlier findings, thus adding to the reliability of findings on the characteristics and content of intrusive images in EDs (Dugué et al, 2016;Hijne et al, 2020;Kadriu et al, 2019;.…”

“…There is growing evidence that intrusive images are prevalent among patients with eating disorders (EDs). Three studies so far have compared the occurrence and characteristics of intrusive images between patients with ED and healthy dieting and nondieting controls (Hijne et al, 2020; Kadriu et al, 2019; Somerville et al, 2007) and between different ED subtypes (Kadriu et al, 2019). Although all groups reported experiencing intrusive images, patients with an ED rated their intrusive images as more repetitive, vivid, detailed, and distressing than dieting and nondieting controls.…”

An investigation of the specificity and vividness of autobiographical memories and future events produced in response to disgust-related cues among individuals with eating disorders

“…Betrayal sensitivity has been reported to in uence behaviour alongside expectations of trustworthiness [49], occurring transdiagnostically [50]. These victimisation experiences are more salient in one's mind and therefore more vivid and may be more salient to people with EDs with a higher impact on imagined negative future events [51] given the evidence that they frequently report a variety of fears such as fear of food, weight gain, loss of control, and judgment by others [52,53].…”