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Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the Parent Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (PEDE‐Q), developed to improve eating disorder (ED) assessment among youth by including parents as informants. Methods: A multi‐site, transdiagnostic sample of 355 adolescents with EDs completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE‐Q) and their parents completed the PEDE‐Q. Results: The internal consistencies of the PEDE‐Q subscales were on par with established EDE‐Q ranges (.73 to.90), both when examined using the original four‐factor EDE‐Q subscales and the seven‐item, three‐factor subscales of the brief EDE‐Q. Statistically significant medium‐ to large‐sized correlations and poor to moderate levels of agreement were found between the corresponding EDE‐Q and PEDE‐Q subscales. Receiver‐operator characteristic (ROC) curves showed that the PEDE‐Q had a statistically significant area under the curve (AUC) to maximize sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing full‐syndrome AN, whereas the EDE‐Q did not. Based on chi‐square analyses, the PEDE‐Q identified a statistically significantly greater number of AN cases than the EDE‐Q. The EDE‐Q yielded a BN diagnosis more frequently than the PEDE‐Q, although this difference was not statistically significant. Discussion: Results suggest that the PEDE‐Q has good psychometric properties and provides incremental information that can aid in the assessment and diagnosis of adolescents with EDs, particularly those with AN. Public significance: There exist complex challenges to identifying clinically significant eating disorders among youth. The PEDE‐Q is a questionnaire measure that improves eating disorder assessment among children and adolescents by asking parents to report on the symptoms and behaviors they have observed in their child and that youth may not fully disclose. The PEDE‐Q can aid in the diagnosis of adolescents with eating disorders, particularly those with anorexia nervosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Related to the cognitive‐behavioral theory of eating disorders, body checking has gained increasing recognition as both a maintaining factor for eating disorders and an important target for treatment. However, it is unclear whether body‐checking behaviors contribute to the development of disordered eating, or if these behaviors develop as a response to experiencing eating disorder thoughts and behaviors. This study aims to examine the relationships between body‐checking behaviors and eating disordered thoughts and behaviors in adolescent females and males in the community over time. Methods: Participants included 238 adolescents (n = 104 males, n = 134 females, Mage= 16.5 years) recruited from high schools in British Columbia, Canada, who completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and Body Checking Questionnaire at baseline (T1) and again approximately 4 months later (T2). Results: After controlling for baseline levels of eating pathology and body mass index (BMI), body checking at T1 predicted increases in eating pathology for both males and females. In contrast, after controlling for baseline levels of body checking and BMI, eating pathology at T1 did not predict changes in body checking for females, but it did for males. Findings suggest that, among adolescents, engaging in body‐checking behaviors may increase risk for disordered eating. Discussion: If supported by further research, targeting body‐checking behaviors in prevention programs may be warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A wealth of evidence indicates that self‐compassion is linked with positive psychological outcomes; however, little is known about the process through which self‐compassion exerts its effect. The primary purpose of this research was to investigate the direct and indirect impact of self‐compassion on body satisfaction and eating pathology in adolescents. Method: Two hundred and thirty‐eight students were recruited from three local high schools (Mage = 16.49, 43.7% boys). All participants completed the Self‐Compassion Scale (SCS), Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL‐5), Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS), and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire ‐ Adolescent Version (EDE‐Q) at baseline. The SCL‐5, BASS, and EDE‐Q were completed 4 months later. Results: Self‐compassion was positively associated with body satisfaction and negatively associated with psychological distress and eating pathology in boys and girls at both time points. Longitudinal conditional process analyses revealed that self‐compassion predicted changes in body satisfaction and eating pathology through changes in psychological distress for girls only. Notably, self‐compassion was higher in boys than in girls. Discussion: Results underscore how self‐compassion may be an important factor to target in fostering a positive body image and preventing disordered eating in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thought–shape fusion (TSF) describes the experience of marked concerns about body weight/shape, feelings of fatness, the perception of weight gain, and the impression of moral wrongdoing after thinking about eating fattening/forbidden foods. This study sets out to evaluate the short version of the TSF trait questionnaire (TSF). The sample consists of 315 healthy control women, 244 women with clinical and subthreshold eating disorders, and 113 women with mixed mental disorders (mixed). The factor structure of the TSF questionnaire was examined using exploratory and subsequent confirmatory factor analyses. The questionnaire distinguishes between a Concept scale and a Clinical Impact scale. However, a lack of measurement invariances refers to significant differences between groups in terms of factor loadings, thresholds, and residuals, which questions cross‐group validity. Results indicate that the concept is understood differently in the 3 groups and refers to the suitability of the questionnaire primarily for individuals presenting with symptoms of eating disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degree of ego-dystonicity in obsessions is clinically relevant to the conceptualization and treatment of eating disorders (EDs). Obsessive-compulsive disorder research has suggested that the transformation of intrusive thoughts into obsessions is linked to the degree to which intrusive thoughts threaten core perceptions of the self. This study aims to explore the relationship between the ego-dystonic nature of obsessions in ED patients and a fear of self, the link between ED symptom severity and ego-dystonicity in obsessions, and differences between non-clinical and individuals with EDs in the presence of ego-dystonic thoughts and a fear of self. Ego-dystonicity (Ego-dystonicity Questionnaire (EDQ)) and feared self (Fear of Self Questionnaire (FSQ)) degrees were measured in a clinical sample ( n = 57 with EDs) and a non-clinical sample ( n = 45). EDQ and FSQ scores were highly correlated in both samples. EDQ scores were not significantly correlated to ED symptom severity with the exception of the EDQ Irrationality subscale, which was strongly related to compulsion severity. Participants with an ED had significantly higher EDQ and FSQ scores compared with controls. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective We examined differences in treatment outcome associated with a 'self-directed'- versus 'external-incentive'-based day treatment protocol for individuals with eating disorders (EDs) with below normal body mass index. The self-directed protocol recommended a weekly 500 g weight gain, but allowed participants freedom to gain weight at their own rate; the 'external-incentive' protocol required a minimum weight gain of 500 g/week as a requirement for staying in the program. Method Weight outcome was available for 49 individuals who were treated with the recommended weight gain protocol, and 40 individuals who were treated with the required weight gain protocol. Results Post-treatment weight was significantly higher in patients treated in the required weight gain protocol compared to those treated in the recommended weight gain protocol. All patients, regardless of which program they completed, showed improvements in the measures of eating-disorder and comorbid-psychiatric symptoms. Discussion This study demonstrated the benefits of an alteration in protocol that required no additional financial or human resources. Further studies are needed to validate the effectiveness of various day treatment protocol parameters. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:500-506) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Over-evaluation of food, shape and weight is a multi-faceted component of cognitive-behavioral models of eating disorders. One specific aspect of over-evaluation of food is a cognitive distortion known as thought-shape fusion (TSF). TSF is purported to be specific to eating pathology; however, research has not yet elucidated whether individuals across the subtypes of eating disorders are differentially susceptible to this phenomenon. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether susceptibility to TSF decreases over the course of treatment. Method TSF, eating pathology, and generalized psychopathology were assessed in 76 individuals with eating disorders. Changes in TSF from pre- to post-treatment were assessed in a subset of participants ( n = 24). Results Individuals with the binge/purge subtype of anorexia nervosa were more susceptible to TSF than were individuals with bulimia nervosa or the restrictive subtype of anorexia nervosa. Increased TSF corresponded with higher levels of eating pathology, depression, and impulsivity. In addition, there were decreases in TSF over the course of treatment. Discussion The observed differences in TSF susceptibility across eating disorder subtypes suggests that subtypes may be differentially prone to over-evaluation of thoughts about food, which represents a facet of one of the core maintenance mechanisms in cognitive-behavioral models of eating disorders. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:302-309) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Thought-shape fusion (TSF) is a cognitive distortion that has been linked to eating pathology. Two studies were conducted to further explore this phenomenon and to establish the psychometric properties of a French short version of the TSF scale. Method: In Study 1, students ( n = 284) completed questionnaires assessing TSF and related psychopathology. In Study 2, the responses of women with eating disorders ( n = 22) and women with no history of an eating disorder ( n = 23) were compared. Results: The French short version of the TSF scale has a unifactorial structure, with convergent validity with measures of eating pathology, and good internal consistency. Depression, eating pathology, body dissatisfaction, and thought-action fusion emerged as predictors of TSF. Individuals with eating disorders have higher TSF, and more clinically relevant food-related thoughts than do women with no history of an eating disorder. Discussion: This research suggests that the shortened TSF scale can suitably measure this construct, and provides support for the notion that TSF is associated with eating pathology. © 2012 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2013) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]