The role of mindfulness on the psychological aspects of anorexia nervosa.
Neşe Dikmeer, Burcu Ersöz Alan, Dilşad Foto Özdemir
Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2024 DOI: 10.1177/13591045231190675 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 76 |
| Population | Adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa (acute or remission) and healthy controls |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Anorexia nervosa Adolescent Emotion regulation Perfectionism Rumination |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness is lowest in acute anorexia nervosa, and its relationship with eating disorder symptoms is influenced by depression and anxiety. |
Abstract
Emotion regulation, perfectionism, and rumination are perpetuating factors in anorexia nervosa (AN). Mindfulness can be protective and therapeutic. We aimed to understand the relationship between these factors and mindfulness in AN. 20 adolescent girls in the acute phase of the AN, 16 in remission, and 40 in the control group were evaluated. Mindfulness was lowest in the acute AN group. The difference in the acute AN group regarding body dissatisfaction, emotion dysregulation, perfectionism, and mindfulness disappeared after controlling for the effects of depression and anxiety. The predictors of disordered eating in the entire study population were body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms. Emotion regulation and perfectionism were the predictors of mindfulness in the acute AN group and the entire study population. When mindfulness decreased, concerns about body shape increased in both acute AN and remission groups, while dietary restriction and disordered eating behaviors increased only in the remission group. Emotion regulation difficulties in acute AN could be related to depression and anxiety. Mindfulness interventions for emotion regulation could be used for depression during the acute phase while for perfectionism in remission. Early intervention for depression and body dissatisfaction seems protective, and mindfulness could be an appropriate intervention.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |