The Risk of Substance Use Among Adolescents and Adults With Eating Disorders

Abstract

Eating disorders (EDs) are negative eating habits that have harmful mental and physical effects. EDs primarily affect young women. Most cases are diagnosed in adolescence. The most common EDs are bulimia nervosa (BN), anorexia nervosa (AN), and binge eating disorder (BED). There is a strong association between EDs and substance use disorder (SUD) in adolescence. Bulimia nervosa and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are the most common cooccurrence. There is a high behavioral association between EDs and AUD. Alcohol consumption could be a primary trigger for binge eating in women with BN. Alcohol can be used as an appetite suppressor and as a compensatory behavior to avoid food. The objective of this literature review was to explore the relation between EDs and SUD. The results of the study showed SUD is common with EDs. There are many reasons for this association such as shared neurobiological mechanisms, personality features, environmental and genetic factors.

The Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale: its psychometric properties and invariance among women with eating disorders

“…Eating disorders (EDs) are psychiatric conditions characterized by dysfunctional eating habits, which are associated with adverse mental and physical effects. EDs primarily strike adolescent and emerging adult women while men represent only 10% of all cases [ 1 , 2 ]. The prevalence of EDs in the United States (US), Asia, and Europe is 4.6%, 3.5%, and 2.2%, respectively [ 3 ].…”

“…Up to 89% of adolescents diagnosed with EDs experience another debilitating psychiatric comorbidity [ 5 ]. Psychiatric comorbidities in EDs are associated with a 48% reduction in yearly earnings [ 1 ]. Major depressive disorder and suicide risk express the highest cooccurrences (52.4% and 40.0%, respectively) [ 5 ].…”

“…The consumption of alcohol and illicit substances among ED patients has considerably increased since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in response to increased anxiety levels, dieting behaviors, as well as concerns about relapse and unavailability of foods consistent with meal plan [ 11 ]. Conditions comorbid with EDs display shared neurobiological mechanisms, personality features, as well as environmental and genetic factors with EDs [ 1 , 2 , 10 ]. For example, EDs and addictive disorders are primarily characterized by increased impulsivity, loss of control, emotional negativity, and risk for self-destructive behaviors, which all prolong the course of the disorder and lower quality of life [ 2 , 10 ].…”

Measuring and understanding “quality of life” among emerging adults in a substance use program.

“…Eating and nutrition also relate to substance use as use and withdrawal can impact hunger, energy expenditure, and nutrient digestion, absorption, and use (Jeynes & Gibson, 2017). Further, co-occurrence of SUDs and eating disorders is not uncommon, appears to be bidirectionally related, and has neurobiological and behavioral similarities (Eskander et al, 2020). Though some emerging adults mentioned nutrition unprompted when discussing physical well-being, many suggested the MLT could be improved by being more explicit.…”

The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) United Kingdom

“…Eating disorders are highly comorbid with psychiatric and somatic illnesses. Approximately 70% of individuals with eating disorders have at least one other lifetime psychiatric disorder, including mood and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and substance use disorders (Eskander et al, 2020; Momen et al, 2022). Common comorbid somatic diseases in binge-eating disorder include obesity and weight-related problems, such as hypertension, diabetes, and osteoporosis.…”