Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, United States of America.
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, United States of America.
J Affect Disord. 2024 Apr 15;351:499-506. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.265. Epub 2024 Feb 1.
Anxiety and fear are key characteristics of eating disorders (EDs). Exposure therapy is a specific type of intervention aimed at reducing fear and anxiety and is efficacious in treating a variety of anxiety and related disorders. A growing body of research suggests that exposure therapy is also efficacious for the treatment of EDs. However, there is currently little research investigating mechanisms of change during exposure therapy for EDs. The current study (N = 143) expanded on an open series trial of imaginal exposure for EDs that found significant reductions in ED symptoms and core ED fears. In the current study we investigated change in state drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and anxiety as mechanisms underpinning change in ED symptoms and core ED fears during four sessions of online imaginal exposure treatment for EDs. We found that state body dissatisfaction, but not state drive for thinness or anxiety, was a mechanism of change for ED symptoms and some core ED fears. Our findings suggest that body dissatisfaction may be a mechanism driving change during exposure therapy for EDs. Optimizing exposure treatments to focus on body dissatisfaction may improve treatment outcomes for EDs.
焦虑和恐惧是饮食失调（ED）的关键特征。暴露疗法是一种专门针对减少恐惧和焦虑的干预措施，对于治疗各种焦虑症和相关障碍是有效的。越来越多的研究表明，暴露疗法对 ED 的治疗也有效。然而，目前关于 ED 暴露治疗过程中变化机制的研究很少。本研究（N=143）扩展了一项针对 ED 的想象暴露的开放系列试验，该试验发现 ED 症状和核心 ED 恐惧显著减少。在本研究中，我们研究了状态驱动瘦、身体不满和焦虑的变化，作为 ED 症状和核心 ED 恐惧在 ED 在线想象暴露治疗的四个疗程中变化的机制。我们发现，状态身体不满，但不是状态对瘦的渴望或焦虑，是 ED 症状和一些核心 ED 恐惧的变化机制。我们的研究结果表明，身体不满可能是 ED 暴露治疗中变化的机制。优化暴露治疗以关注身体不满可能会改善 ED 的治疗效果。
