Navigation
Distinct personality profiles associated with disease risk and diagnostic status in eating disorders
Personality traits were found to play a role in the pathophysiology of eating disorders (EDs) and related mental health conditions. However, it remains unclear which personality profiles act as risk factors for developing EDs versus those that serve as diagnostic indicators. This study by Zhang et al. (2024) investigated the connection between personality factors and mental health symptoms associated with eating disorders. To determine how personality at age 14 is connected to the emergence of mental health symptoms at ages 16 or 19, the study looked at personality risk profiles in a longitudinal sample of a group of young people with a diagnosis of either bulimia nervosa (BN, n = 63) or anorexia nervosa (AN, n = 58) as well as healthy controls (n = 47) also showed diagnostic signs. Premorbid risk profiles were substantial, accounting for 7.93% and 5.60% of the pooled variation (Rc²). The first profile combined high neuroticism, openness, impulsivity, and conscientiousness, which were associated with the future onset of anxiety symptoms and dieting behaviors. The second profile included lower agreeableness and reduced anxiety sensitivity, which were linked to future deliberate self-harm and purging behaviors. The authors discovered that the investigated personality profiles related to “core psychopathology” in both AN and BN diagnoses included hopelessness and neuroticism traits, while particularly in BN, this profile also involved impulsivity. Additionally, extraversion was associated with a lower risk of depression in BN. The study sample lacked ethnic diversity, and the clinical cohort consisted solely of females. The results indicate that neuroticism and impulsivity are diagnostic and risk factors for eating disorders, with neuroticism and despair being found to be similar diagnostic indicators. These findings could aid in directing the creation of more individualized ED preventive and intervention plans. [NPID: Eating disorders, personality, risk factor, diagnostic marker, comorbidity]
Year: 2024
