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Objective: The current study examined predictors and moderators of two interventions for binge-eating disorder (BED). Method: Participants were 112 adults with BED (Mage = 39.7 ± 13.4 years; MBMI = 35.1 ± 13.4 kg/m2; 82% female; 91% Caucasian) randomly assigned to integrative cognitive-affective therapy for BED (ICAT-BED) or guided self-help cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBTgsh). Generalized linear models examined predictors and moderators of objective binge-eating episode (OBE) frequency and OBE abstinence at end-of-treatment (EOT) and 6-month follow-up (FU). Results: Lower levels of baseline dietary restraint and emotion regulation difficulties predicted greater reductions in OBE frequency at EOT and FU, respectively. At EOT, greater pretreatment self-control predicted greater reductions in OBE frequency in ICAT-BED than CBTgsh (ps <.05). In addition, low shape/weight overvaluation predicted greater reductions in OBE frequency in ICAT-BED than CBTgsh, whereas high shape/weight overvaluation predicted comparable reductions in OBE frequency across treatments at EOT (ps <.02). At EOT and FU, greater baseline actual-ideal self-discrepancy predicted significantly greater reductions in OBE frequency in ICAT-BED, than CBTgsh (ps <.02). No significant predictor or moderator effects were observed for models examining OBE abstinence. Conclusion: This study identified two general predictors and four moderators of BED treatment response. However, only one predictor (actual-ideal self-discrepancy) interacted with treatment type to differentially predict OBE frequencies at both EOT and FU. Altogether, findings suggest that ICAT-BED may confer specific and durable improvements in OBE frequencies among individuals with high actual-ideal self-discrepancy. Therefore, patients demonstrating these characteristics may be more likely to benefit from ICAT-BED. What is the public health significance of this article?: This study suggests that ICAT-BED is an efficacious treatment for BED and may be particularly effective for reducing binge-eating frequency among individuals with certain symptom presentations. This study highlights the potential importance of assessing pretreatment patient characteristics, particularly actual-ideal self-discrepancy, to inform treatment plans and selection of targeted intervention approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined predictors and moderators of outcome in 2 treatments for bulimia nervosa (BN). Method: Eighty adults with BN symptoms at 1 of 2 sites were randomized to 21 sessions of integrative cognitive-affective therapy for BN (ICAT-BN) or enhanced cognitive behavior therapy (CBT-E). Generalized linear models examined predictors and moderators of improvements in bulimic behavior and eating disorder psychopathology at end of treatment (EOT) and 4-month follow-up (FU). Results: At EOT, individuals with higher dietary restraint had greater reductions in bulimic behavior. At FU. individuals with higher weight and shape concern had greater reductions in bulimic behavior, whereas those with greater baseline depression had less improvement in eating disorder psychopathology. Individuals higher in stimulus seeking had greater reductions in bulimic behavior and eating disorder psychopathology at follow up in ICAT-BN than in CBT-E, whereas individuals lower in stimulus seeking had greater reductions in bulimic behavior in CBT-E than in ICAT-BN. Finally, individuals with higher affective lability had greater reductions in eating disorder psychopathology in ICAT-BN than in CBT-E. whereas improvements were comparable across treatments for individuals with lower affective lability. Conclusions: This study identified 3 nonspecific predictors of outcome (i.e.. dietary restraint, weight and shape concern, and depression) and 2 moderators (i.e., affective lability and stimulus seeking). All moderator effects emerged at FU rather than at EOT, suggesting that the moderating effects of treatment were not immediately apparent. These results suggest that individuals with higher affective lability and stimulus seeking may benefit more from treatment with a greater focus on affective states and self-regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examined the temporal relation between therapeutic alliance and outcome in two treatments for bulimia nervosa (BN). Method: Eighty adults with BN symptoms were randomized to 21 sessions of integrative cognitive-affective therapy (ICAT) or enhanced cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-E). Bulimic symptoms (i.e., frequency of binge eating and purging) were assessed at each session and posttreatment. Therapeutic alliance (Working Alliance Inventory) was assessed at Sessions 2, 8, 14, and posttreatment. Repeated-measures analyses using linear mixed models with random intercepts were conducted to determine differences in alliance growth by treatment and patient characteristics. Mixed-effects models examined the relation between alliance and symptom improvement. Results: Overall, patients in both treatments reported strong therapeutic alliances. Regardless of treatment, greater therapeutic alliance between (but not within) subjects predicted greater reductions in bulimic behavior; reductions in bulimic behavior also predicted improved alliance. Patients with higher depression, anxiety, or emotion dysregulation had a stronger therapeutic alliance in CBT-E than ICAT, while those with more intimacy problems had greater improvement in therapeutic alliance in ICAT compared to CBT-E. Conclusions: Therapeutic alliance has a unique impact on outcome, independent of the impact of symptom improvement on alliance. Within- and between-subjects effects revealed that changes in alliance over time did not predict symptom improvement, but rather that individuals who had a stronger alliance overall had better bulimic symptom outcomes. These findings indicate that therapeutic alliance is an important predictor of outcome in the treatment of BN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Negative affect precedes binge eating and purging in bulimia nervosa (BN), but little is known about factors that precipitate negative affect in relation to these behaviors. We aimed to assess the temporal relation among stressful events, negative affect, and bulimic events in the natural environment using ecological momentary assessment. Method: A total of 133 women with current BN recorded their mood, eating behavior, and the occurrence of stressful events every day for 2 weeks. Multilevel structural equation mediation models evaluated the relations among Time 1 stress measures (i.e., interpersonal stressors, work/environment stressors, general daily hassles, and stress appraisal), Time 2 negative affect, and Time 2 binge eating and purging, controlling for Time 1 negative affect. Results: Increases in negative affect from Time 1 to Time 2 significantly mediated the relations between Time 1 interpersonal stressors, work/environment stressors, general daily hassles, and stress appraisal and Time 2 binge eating and purging. When modeled simultaneously, confidence intervals for interpersonal stressors, general daily hassles, and stress appraisal did not overlap, suggesting that each had a distinct impact on negative affect in relation to binge eating arid purging. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that stress precedes the occurrence of bulimic behaviors and that increases in negative affect following stressful events mediate this relation. Results suggest that stress and subsequent negative affect may function as maintenance factors for bulimic behaviors and should be targeted in treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Binge eating disorder (BED) is prevalent among individuals from minority racial/ethnic groups and among individuals with lower levels of education, yet the efficacy of psychosocial treatments for these groups has not been examined in adequately powered analyses. This study investigated the relative variance in treatment retention and posttreatment symptom levels accounted for by demographic, clinical, and treatment variables as moderators and predictors of outcome. Method: Data were aggregated from 11 randomized, controlled trials of psychosocial treatments for BED conducted at treatment sites across the United States. Participants were N = 1,073 individuals meeting criteria for BED including n = 946 Caucasian, n = 79 African American, and n = 48 Hispanic/Latino participants. Approximately 86% had some higher education; 85% were female. Multilevel regression analyses examined moderators and predictors of treatment retention, Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) global score, frequency of objective bulimic episodes (OBEs), and OBE remission. Results: Moderator analyses of race/ethnicity and education were nonsignificant. Predictor analyses revealed African Americans were more likely to drop out of treatment than Caucasians, and lower level of education predicted greater posttreatment OBEs. African Americans showed a small but significantly greater reduction in EDE global score relative to Caucasians. Self-help treatment administered in a group showed negative outcomes relative to other treatment types, and longer treatment was associated with better outcome. Conclusions: Observed lower treatment retention among African Americans and lesser treatment effects for individuals with lower levels of educational attainment are serious issues requiring attention. Reduced benefit was observed for shorter treatment length and self-help administered in groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Recent studies suggest that binge eating disorder (BED) is as prevalent among African American and Hispanic Americans as among Caucasian Americans; however, data regarding the characteristics of treatment-seeking individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups are scarce. The purpose of this study was to investigate racial/ethnic differences in demographic characteristics and eating disorder symptoms in participants enrolled in treatment trials for BED. Method: Data from 11 completed randomized, controlled trials were aggregated in a single database, the Clinical Trials of Binge Eating Disorder (CT-BED) database, which included 1,204 Caucasian, 120 African American, and 64 Hispanic participants assessed at baseline. Age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, body mass index (BMI), binge eating frequency, and Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) Restraint, Shape, Weight, and Eating Concern subscale scores were examined. Results: Mixed model analyses indicated that African American participants in BED treatment trials had higher mean BMI than Caucasian participants, and Hispanic participants had significantly greater EDE shape, weight, and eating concerns than Caucasian participants. No racial or ethnic group differences were found on the frequency of binge eating episodes. Observed racial/ethnic differences in BED symptoms were not substantially reduced after adjusting for BMI and education. Comparisons between the CT-BED database and epidemiological data suggest limitations to the generalizability of data from treatment-seeking samples to the BED community population, particularly regarding the population with lower levels of education. Conclusions: Further research is needed to assess alternative demographic, psychological, and culturally specific variables to better understand the diversity of treatment-seeking individuals with BED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current diagnostic nomenclature for eating disorders has shortcomings. Empirical attempts to identify a new nomenclature have found numerous latent structures, but validation of this work has been largely cross-sectional, and nothing is known yet about the relationship of derived latent classes to mortality. This study examined latent diagnostic structure in 1,885 participants seeking outpatient eating disorder treatment over an 18-year period. Eating disorder symptoms were used as indicators, and the main validator was mortality as assessed using computerized linkage to the National Death Index. Six latent classes were derived; three of the six had significantly elevated standardized mortality ratios. It appeared that the latent class structure yielded better delineation of mortality risk than the existing classifications in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . These results provide support for an alternative, empirically derived diagnostic structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to derive an empirical classification of eating disorder symptoms in a heterogeneous eating disorder sample using latent class analysis (LCA) and to examine the longitudinal stability of these latent classes (LCs) and the stability of DSM-IV eating disorder (ED) diagnoses. Method: A total of 429 females with ED symptoms were assessed using the Eating Disorder Examination every 6 months for 2 years. LCA was used to derive empirical classification at baseline. Latent transition analysis (LTA) was used to examine the longitudinal stability of LCs, and Markov modeling procedures were used to examine DSM-IV ED diagnoses over all the time points. Results: LCA yielded a 3-class solution: binge eating and purging, binge eating only, and low body mass index. LTA indicated that these LCs showed greater stability over 2 years than DSM-IV diagnoses with the probability of remaining in the same class ranging from 0.69 to 0.91 for LCs and from 0.40 to 0.75 for DSM-IV diagnoses. Transition patterns also revealed more stability for LCs with only 21% changing classes compared with 63% of the DSM-IV diagnostic categories. Conclusion: Empirically derived classes of ED symptoms showed greater longitudinal stability than DSM-IV diagnoses over a 2-year time period, suggesting that modifying the criteria to be consistent with empirically based classification (e.g., reducing frequency requirements of binge eating and purging) may reduce ED diagnostic crossover in DSM-5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Both obesity and depression are prominent during adolescence, and it is possible that obesity is a trigger for adolescent depression. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether overweight or obese status contributes to the development of depression in adolescent girls. Design: Participants were 496 adolescent girls who completed interview based measures of depression and had their height and weight measured at four yearly assessments. Repeated measures logistic regressions with generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate whether overweight or obese status were associated with major depression or an increase in depressive symptoms the following year. Main Outcome Measures: Major depression and depressive symptoms were evaluating using a modified version of the K-SADS interview. Overweight and obese status was determined by using standardized protocols to measure height and weight. Results: Results showed that obese status, not overweight status, was associated with future depressive symptoms, but not major depression, This study demonstrated that obesity is a risk factor for depressive symptoms, but not for clinical depression. Conclusions: As depressive symptoms are considered along the spectrum of depression with clinical depression at the high end, these results suggest that weight stares could be considered a factor along the pathway of development of depression in some adolescent females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, and obesity have been associated cross sectionally with suicidal behavior in adolescents. To determine the extent to which these variables predicted suicidal ideation and attempts, the authors examined these relationships in a longitudinal design. The study population included 2,516 older adolescents and young adults who completed surveys for Project EAT-II (Time 2), a 5-year follow-up study of adolescents who had taken part in Project EAT (Time 1). Odds ratios for suicidal behaviors at Time 2 were estimated with multiple logistic regression. Predictor variables included Time 1 extreme and unhealthy weight control behaviors (EWCB and UWCB), body dissatisfaction, and body mass index percentile. Suicidal ideation was reported by 15.2% of young men and 21.6% of young women, and suicide attempts were reported by 3.5% of young men and 8.7% of young women. For young women, suicidal ideation at Time 2 was predicted by Time 1 EWCB. The odds ratio for suicide attempts was similarly elevated in young women who had reported EWCB at Time 1. These odds ratios for both suicidal ideation and suicide attempts remained elevated even after controlling for Time 2 depressive symptoms. In young men, EWCB was not associated with suicidal ideation or suicide attempts 5 years later. Body mass index and body dissatisfaction did not predict suicidal ideation or suicide attempts in young men or young women. These results emphasize the importance of EWCB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study's purpose was to examine the extent to which participants (N = 143) receiving cognitive- behavioral therapy for bulimia nervosa (BN) reported implementing therapeutic strategies to abstain from BN behaviors, and to assess whether use of specific strategies predicts outcome at treatment end and 1- and 6-month follow-up. Frequency of outcome expectancies (OE), stimulus-response prevention (SRP), and social support-seeking (SSS) strategies significantly increased by end of treatment. By 1-month follow-up, use of SSS, not OE or SRP, declined significantly relative to treatment end. Although frequency of coping strategy use at treatment end did not predict 1-month BN symptom remission, SSS use at 1-month follow-up predicted 6-month remission. Findings highlight the importance of social support to maintain treatment gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affect regulation models hypothesize that aversive affective states drive binge-eating behavior, which serves to regulate unpleasant emotions. Research using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) demonstrates that increases in guilt most strongly predict subsequent binge-eating episodes, raising the question: why would individuals with binge-eating pathology engage in a binge-eating episode when they feel guilty? Food craving is a robust predictor of binge eating and is commonly associated with subsequent feelings of guilt. The current study used EMA to test the hypothesis that food craving may promote increased feelings of guilt, which then predict an increased risk of binge eating within a sample of 109 individuals with binge-eating disorder. Multilevel mediation models indicated that increased momentary craving at Time 1 directly predicted a greater likelihood of binge eating at Time 2, and craving also indirectly predicted binge eating at Time 2 through momentary increases in guilt at Time 2. In other words, experiencing food craving at one time point was related to an increased likelihood of binge eating at the next time point, and a portion of this influence was attributable to increasing feelings of guilt. These results challenge simple affect regulation models of binge eating, suggesting that food-related anticipatory reward processes (i.e., craving) may be the primary driver of binge-eating risk and account for the increases in guilt commonly observed prior to binge-eating episodes. Although experimental studies are needed to confirm this possibility, these results suggest the importance of addressing food cravings within interventions for binge-eating disorder. General Scientific Summary: Previous research indicates that feelings of guilt commonly precede binge-eating episodes among individuals with eating disorders, indicating that guilt (or experiences of negative affect) should be a target of intervention. This study demonstrates that increased food craving predicts increasing feelings of guilt and subsequent risk for binge eating, suggesting that craving may be an alternative and potentially more important treatment target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affect regulation models of eating disorder behavior, which predict worsening of affect prior to binge-eating episodes and improvement in affect following such episodes, have received support in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. However, limited work has examined the trajectories of affect surrounding binge eating in binge-eating disorder (BED). In the current study, ecological momentary assessment data from 112 men and women with BED were used to examine the trajectories of positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), guilt, fear, hostility, and sadness relative to binge-eating episodes. Prior to binge episodes, PA significantly decreased, whereas NA and guilt significantly increased. Following binge episodes, levels of NA and guilt significantly decreased and PA stabilized. Overall, results indicate improvements in affect following binge-eating episodes, suggesting that binge eating may function to alleviate unpleasant emotional experiences among individuals with BED, which is consistent with affect regulation models of eating pathology. Because improvements in negative affect were primarily driven by change in guilt, findings also highlight the relative importance of understanding the relationship between guilt and binge-eating behavior within this population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits are common among those with bulimia nervosa (BN). However, how these traits impact the state experience of precipitants of BN behavior, such as stressful events and emotional reactivity, has not been determined. Thus, the purpose of this naturalistic study was to examine this trait-state association in BN. Women with DSM-IV BN (N = 133) completed a baseline measure of personality pathology traits, and subsequently recorded their affective state and the frequency and perception of 3 types of stressful events (interpersonal, work/environment, and daily hassles) several times per day for 2 weeks using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Pearson correlations assessed the associations between BPD traits (affective lability, identity problems, insecure attachment, and cognitive dysregulation) and (a) frequency of stressful events and (b) perception of stressful events. Generalized linear models (GLM) were used to evaluate the relationship between BPD traits and changes in negative affect following stressful events. Results revealed that while all traits were significantly associated with perceived stressfulness, certain BPD traits were significantly associated with the frequency of stressful events. Individuals with higher trait insecure attachment experienced larger increases in negative affect following interpersonal stressful events. These findings suggest that interventions focused on addressing stressful events and enhancing adaptive emotional responses to interpersonal events may be particularly useful for a subset of individuals with BN with BPD-related personality characteristics, including insecure attachment, affective lability, and identity problems. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite robust support for the role of affect in the maintenance of binge eating and purging, the relationship between affect and restrictive eating remains poorly understood. To investigate the relationship between restrictive eating and affect, ecological momentary assessment data from 118 women with anorexia nervosa (AN) were used to examine trajectories of higher-order dimensions of negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA), as well as lower-order dimensions of NA (Fear, Guilt) and PA (Joviality, Self-Assurance) relative to restrictive eating. Affect trajectories were modeled before and after restrictive eating episodes and AN subtype was examined as a moderator of these trajectories. Across the sample, Guilt significantly increased before and decreased after restrictive eating episodes. Global NA, Global PA, Fear, Joviality, and Self-Assurance did not vary relative to restrictive eating episodes across the sample. However, significant subtype by trajectory interactions were detected for PA indices. Among individuals with AN restricting subtype, Global PA, Joviality, and Self-Assurance decreased prior to and Self-Assurance increased following restrictive eating episodes. In contrast, Global PA and Self-Assurance increased prior to, but did not change following, restrictive eating episodes among individuals with AN binge eating/purging subtype. Results suggest that dietary restriction may function to mitigate guilt across AN subtypes and to enhance self-assurance among individuals with AN restricting subtype. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examines the relationship of affect and eating disorder behavior in anorexia nervosa (AN) using ecological momentary assessment. Participants were 118 adult females recruited at three sites from eating disorder treatment centers and community advertisements. All participants met full Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.) criteria or subthreshold criteria for AN. Participants were provided handheld computers and asked to report positive affect, negative affect, loss of control (LOC) eating, purging, exercise, drinking fluids to curb appetite, and weighing one's self multiple times per day as well as dietary restriction once daily over a 2-week interval. Mixed-effects models were used to examine the extent to which affective states predict dietary restriction. In addition, we used two analytic approaches to compare affect before and after other eating disorder behaviors. We found that higher daily ratings of negative affect were associated with a greater likelihood of dietary restriction on subsequent days. When examining the single rating immediately before and after behaviors, we found that negative affect increased significantly after LOC eating, purging, the combination of LOC and eating/purging, and weighing of one's self. Using this same analytic approach, we also found negative affect to decrease significantly after the consumption of fluids to curb appetite and exercise. When examining the covariation of AN behaviors and negative affect assessed multiple times in the hours and minutes before the behaviors, we found negative affect significantly increased before LOC eating, purging, the combination of LOC eating/and purging, and weighing behavior. Negative affect also significantly decreased after the occurrence of these behaviors. These findings are consistent with the idea that that negative affect is potentially a critical maintenance mechanism of some AN symptoms, but that the analytic approach used to examine affect and behavior may have significant implications on the interpretation of findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of anxiety has been emphasized in etiological/maintenance models of anorexia nervosa. This study identified daily patterns of anxiety in anorexia nervosa and examined the likelihood of the occurrence of eating disorder behaviors in each trajectory, the daily temporal distribution of eating disorder behaviors in each trajectory, and the extent to which the tendency to exhibit particular anxiety trajectories was associated with baseline diagnostic and trait-level personality variables. Women with full or subthreshold anorexia nervosa (N = 118) completed a 2-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol during which they reported on a variety of behavioral and affective variables, including anxiety and eating disorder behaviors. Using latent growth mixture modeling to classify EMA days (N = 1,526) based on anxiety ratings, we identified 7 distinct daily anxiety trajectories. Overall differences between trajectories were found for rates of binge eating, self-induced vomiting, body checking, skipping meals, and dietary restriction. Furthermore, distinct daily temporal distributions of eating disorder behaviors were found across the trajectories, with peaks in the probability of behaviors frequently coinciding with high levels of anxiety. Finally, traits of personality pathology (affective lability, self-harm, social avoidance, and oppositionality) and the presence of a co-occurring mood disorder were found to be associated with the tendency to experience particular daily anxiety trajectories (e.g., stable high anxiety). Findings support the presence of within-person variability in daily anxiety patterns in anorexia nervosa and also provide evidence for an association between these anxiety patterns and eating disorder behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant discrepancies have been found between interview- and questionnaire-based assessments of psychopathology; however, these studies have typically compared instruments with unmatched item content. The Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), a structured interview, and the questionnaire version of the EDE (EDE--Q) are considered the preeminent assessments of eating disorder symptoms and provide a unique opportunity to examine the concordance of interview- and questionnaire-based instruments with matched item content. The convergence of EDE and EDE-Q scores has been examined previously; however, past studies have been limited by small sample sizes and have not compared the convergence of scores across diagnostic groups. A meta-analysis of 16 studies was conducted to compare the convergence of EDE and EDE-Q scores across studies and diagnostic groups. With regard to the EDE and EDE-Q subscale scores, the overall correlation coefficient effect sizes ranged from .68 to .76. The overall Cohen's d effect sizes ranged from .31 to .62, with participants consistently scoring higher on the questionnaire. For the items measuring behavior frequency, the overall correlation coefficient effect sizes ranged from .37 to .55 for binge eating and .90 to .92 for compensatory behaviors. The overall Cohen's d effect sizes ranged from -0.16 to -0.22, with participants reporting more binge eating on the interview than in the questionnaire in 70% of the studies. These results suggest the interview and questionnaire assess similar constructs but should not be used interchangeably. Additional research is needed to examine the inconsistencies between binge frequency scores on the 2 instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]