Irrational Beliefs and Their Role in Specific and Non-Specific Eating Disorder Symptomatology and Cognitive Reappraisal in Eating Disorders

Abstract

Background: Research on which specific maladaptive cognitions characterize eating disorders (ED) is lacking. This study explores irrational beliefs (IBs) in ED patients and controls and the association between IBs and ED-specific and non-specific ED symptomatology and cognitive reappraisal. Methods: 79 ED outpatients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or other specified feeding or eating disorders and 95 controls completed the Attitudes and Beliefs Scale-2 (ABS-2) for IBs. ED outpatients also completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) for ED-specific (EDI-3-ED Risk) and non-specific (EDI-3-General Psychological Maladjustment) symptomatology; General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) for general psychopathology; Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) for cognitive reappraisal. Results: Multivariate analysis of variance with post hoc comparisons showed that ED outpatients exhibit greater ABS-2-Awfulizing, ABS-2-Negative Global Evaluations, and ABS-2-Low Frustration Tolerance than controls. No differences emerged between ED diagnoses. According to stepwise linear regression analyses, body mass index (BMI) and ABS-2-Awfulizing predicted greater EDI-3-ED Risk, while ABS-2-Negative Global Evaluations and GHQ predicted greater EDI-3-General Psychological Maladjustment and lower ERQ-Cognitive Reappraisal. Conclusion: Awfulizing and negative global evaluation contribute to better explaining ED-specific and non-specific ED symptoms and cognitive reappraisal. Therefore, including them, together with BMI and general psychopathology, when assessing ED patients and planning cognitive–behavioral treatment is warranted.

Adventures of Clinical Psychology

“…Tecuta et al, in their study, assessed 79 ED outpatients and 95 controls and demonstrated through a multivariate analysis of variance with post hoc comparisons that ED outpatients had greater awfulizing, more negative global evaluations, and a lower frustration tolerance than controls. The study provides experimental support for the hypothesis that feelings of inefficacy represent a core role in clinical models of EDs, and their evaluation is useful when assessing ED patients and planning cognitive-behavioral treatments [4].…”

Mediators between sexual abuse and eating disorder severity: A comparative case‐control study in treatment‐naïve patients

“…Importantly, we also tested the same model in a group of matched controls without EDs, which allowed us to examine the specificity of the results. Additionally, following the recommendations of the EDI‐3 manual (Garner & Van Strien, 2004) and previous ones (Cesare et al., 2016; Pruccoli et al., 2021; Tecuta et al., 2021) we determined two global scores, the EDI‐ECC and the EDI‐GPM. These global scores are valuable in that they provide a single score to indicate the level of eating concerns (EDI‐ECC) and psychopathology (EDI‐GPM).…”

Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating AcceptME—A Digital Gamified Acceptance and Commitment Early Intervention Program for Individuals at High Risk for Eating Disorders

“…There are different approaches to addressing irrational beliefs about eating and body weight/shape central to EDs. One is to try to change at the content level (make more rational, etc., e.g., [ 57 ]), while another is to increase cognitive and behavioural flexibility (or how one relates and responds to their thoughts/feelings, e.g., [ 56 ]). The current intervention takes that latter approach.…”