The Clinical and Psychopathological Profile of Inpatients with Eating Disorders: Comparing Vomiting, Laxative Abuse, and Combined Purging Behaviors.

Background/objectives: The previous literature on purging behavior in eating disorders (EDs) suggests an overall more complicated clinical picture for individuals with this symptomatology. So far, no studies have analyzed the possible differences between the specific types of purging among ED inpatients.

Methods: A clinical sample of 302 inpatients with EDs was classified according to no purging behaviors, vomiting, the abuse of laxatives, and both vomiting and the abuse of laxatives.

A quantitative study on peripersonal space in anorexia nervosa and healthy subjects: Role of social variables and association with psychopathology.

Objectives: This study investigates peripersonal space (PPS) modulation in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) versus healthy controls (HCs) and explores associations between PPS, eating-related, and general psychopathology.

Method: Forty-six patients and 42 HCs completed a computer-based task observing videos of an approaching actor (male or female) displaying different facial expressions along with a non-social condition. Then, participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing eating-related and general psychopathology.

Role of parental educational level as psychosocial factor in a sample of inpatients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Introduction: Evidence on parental educational level (PEL) as a risk factor for Eating Disorders (EDs) is mixed, and no study has assessed its role in relation to the compliance and outcomes of treatments in EDs. Further, no study differentiated from the educational level of mothers and fathers, nor considered the possible mediation of perfectionism in fostering EDs.

Methods: A clinical sample of 242 first-ever admitted inpatients with EDs provided information on PEL and completed the following questionnaires: the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (F-MPS).

Inpatient treatments for adults with anorexia nervosa: a systematic review of literature.

Purpose: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a mental disorder for which hospitalization is frequently needed in case of severe medical and psychiatric consequences. We aim to describe the state-of-the-art inpatient treatment of AN in real-world reports.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature on the major medical databases, spanning from January 2011 to October 2023, was performed, using the keywords: "inpatient", "hospitalization" and "anorexia nervosa".

Perfectionism in anorexia nervosa: Associations with clinical picture and personality traits.

Although many researchers addressed the topics, no consistent data are currently available regarding the relationship between perfectionism and personality traits in anorexia nervosa (AN). The present study aimed to assess differences between high- and low-perfectionism groups of patients with AN and to identify which variables show the strongest association with perfectionism. A group of inpatients with AN (n = 193) was recruited and completed a battery of self-report questionnaires regarding eating-related and general psychopathology, perfectionism, and personality.

What's New in Research during the Current Epidemic Wave of Eating Disorders?

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused physical health concerns and has significantly impacted mental health [...

Pathways to eating disorder care: A European multicenter study.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess barriers and facilitators in the pathways toward specialist care for eating disorders (EDs).

Methods: Eleven ED services located in seven European countries recruited patients with an ED. Clinicians administered an adapted version of the World Health Organization "Encounter Form," a standardized tool to assess the pathways to care.

Increased General, Eating, and Body-Related Psychopathology in Inpatients in a Specialized Eating Disorders Unit after the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Comparison with the Pre-Pandemic Period.

The study of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals who attended mental health services is needed to identify the specific vulnerabilities associated to this challenging period. Despite several analyses reporting the worsening of eating disorders symptomatology after the beginning of the pandemic, characterizations of adult inpatients with eating disorders are still lacking. We conducted a retrospective analysis to assess whether adult individuals who underwent hospitalization in a specialized eating disorders unit in the two years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic differed in clinical presentation, psychopathological measures, and treatment outcomes from inpatients hospitalized in the two years before.

Diagnostic Concordance between Research and Clinical-Based Assessments of Psychiatric Comorbidity in Anorexia Nervosa.

The literature has reported poor concordance in the assessment of psychiatric conditions, and inhomogeneity in the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in Anorexia Nervosa (AN). We aimed to investigate concordance level between clinicians' and researchers' diagnoses of psychiatric comorbidity in AN and differences in eating and general psychopathology between patients with and without psychiatric comorbidity assessed by clinicians versus researchers. A clinical psychiatrist interviewed 122 patients with AN; then a researcher administered the Structured and Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5).

Shame, Guilt, and Self-Consciousness in Anorexia Nervosa.

Background: the role of self-conscious emotions (SCE) such as shame and guilt in eating disorders (ED) has been systematically studied only in recent years, but it is still debated. This study aims to investigate the role of SCE in anorexia nervosa (AN), evaluating the role of self-consciousness.

Methods: fifty-five individuals with AN and seventy-four healthy controls (HC) were enrolled and completed a battery of tests evaluating the proneness to feel shame and guilt, as well as comparing self-consciousness, eating, and general psychopathology.

Research in eating disorders: the misunderstanding of supposing serious mental illnesses as a niche specialty.

Purpose: Eating disorders (EDs) are mental illnesses with severe consequences and high mortality rates. Notwithstanding, EDs are considered a niche specialty making it often difficult for researchers to publish in high-impact journals. Subsequently, research on EDs receives less funding than other fields of psychiatry potentially slowing treatment progress.

Sulcal characteristics patterns and gyrification gradient at different stages of Anorexia Nervosa: A structural MRI evaluation.

Previous research evidenced alterations of different cortical parameters in patients with acute Anorexia Nervosa (AN), but no study to date investigated the morphology of individual sulci and their relationship with other structural indices. Our study aims at exploring the depth and width of 16 major cortical sulci in AN at different stages of the disorder and their relationships with the gyrification gradient. Two samples were included in the study.

Comparison between inpatients with anorexia nervosa with and without major depressive disorder: Clinical characteristics and outcome.

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) are frequent comorbid conditions. It is unclear how MDD affects intensive emergency treatment and outcome. Eighty-seven AN inpatients were analyzed, twenty-two suffered also from MDD.

Psychoform and somatoform dissociation in anorexia nervosa: A systematic review.

Dissociation is a debilitating condition often present as comorbidity in patients with eating disorders, but to date only sparse findings are available on this topic. Additionally, very little data exist on the classification of dissociation, namely, psychoform and somatoform, in anorexia nervosa (AN). This review aimed to provide an updated view on the literature about dissociation in AN, with a focus on AN subtypes (i.

The role of prenatal and perinatal factors in eating disorders: a systematic review.

Numerous studies showed that factors influencing fetal development and neonatal period could lead to lasting alterations in the brain of the offspring, in turn increasing the risk for eating disorders (EDs). This work aims to systematically and critically review the literature on the association of prenatal and perinatal factors with the onset of EDs in the offspring, updating previous findings and focusing on anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). A systematic literature search was performed on Pubmed, PsycINFO, and Scopus.

Body shape in inpatients with severe anorexia nervosa.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe mental disorder. Body shape disturbances are key in the development and maintenance of AN. Only few data are available on inpatients with life-threatening AN.