Emotional dysregulation and attachment dimensions in female patients with bulimia nervosa.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine whether there is a difference in the dimensions of attachment and difference in emotional regulation between the group of female patients suffering from bulimia nervosa (BN) and the control group. We also wanted to examine whether emotional regulation has a mediating role in the relationship between dimensions of attachment and severity of BN symptoms. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included a total of 100 female participants from 15 to 25 years of age (M=20.40, SD=3.26). The clinical group consisted of 50 patients suffering from BN, and the control group consisted of 50 healthy female subjects. RESULTS: Female patients suffering from BN achieved higher scores in the dimensions of anxiety (t98=-5.12, p=0.00) and avoidance (t98=-4.30, p=0.00). Dimension of attachment related anxiety (ß=0.44, p=0.00) proved to be a statistically significant predictor of BN symptoms. Subjects of the clinical group also achieved significantly higher (t98=7.41, p=0.00) emotional dysregulation than participants of the control group. We also found that the mediation effect of emotional regulation on the association between anxiety and BN symptoms was statistically significant (z'=4.43, p=0.00). CONCLUSIONS: Patients suffering from BN showed significantly higher levels of attachment related anxiety and avoidance as well as significantly higher level of difficulties in emotional regulation than healthy controls. Attachment anxiety proved to be a significant predictor of symptoms BN, suggesting that the attachment related anxiety is stronger correlate of BN symptoms than avoidance, and may represent a risk factor for more severe BN symptoms. It was also found that the relationship between attachment related anxiety and BN symptoms were mediated by emotional regulation.

PREDICTORS OF EATING DISORDER RISK IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA ADOLESCENTS.

- The purpose of the present study was to examine the association among the risk of eating disorder (ED), psychological adjustment, empathy, attachment style and thin-ideal internalization among adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN), as compared to a healthy control (HC) group. The Questionnaire of General Data, the Eating Disorders Inventory-3 (EDI-3), the Questionnaire of Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance-3 (SATAQ-3), the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) and the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) were administered to 35 female adolescents with AN and 35 HC adolescents. Eating disorder risk was found to be highest in AN females with higher levels of general psychological maladjustment (GPMC), followed by HC females with higher thin-ideal internalization. In the AN group, attachment style and thin-ideal internalization in combination with GPMC were not indicated as significant predictors of eating disorder risk. Study data provide support to conceptualizations of EDs that emphasize the role of general psychological maladjustment in the development of EDs.

COPING SKILLS IN CHILDREN WITH EPILEPSY--EVALUATION OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY INTERVENTION.

A pilot study was conducted to examine the efficiency and satisfaction of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention in youth with epilepsy regarding coping strategies. The CBT intervention was based on the main principles and empirically supported cognitive-behavioral techniques. The intervention consists of epilepsy education, stress education, and coping skill strategies. Seventeen children and adolescents aged 9-17 diagnosed with epilepsy for at least one year, with at least average intelligence and no history of serious mental illness completed the CBT intervention during summer camp, providing data on the efficiency of and satisfaction with CBT intervention. Upon completion of the CBT intervention, study subjects achieved significantly higher scores on the following Scale of Coping with Stress subscales: Problem solving; Seeking for social support from friends; Seeking for social support from family; and Cognitive restructuring, for both measures of usage frequency and effectiveness of each subscale. The participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the CBT intervention. This study provided explanation of research limitations and recommendations for future clinical trials.