Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Eating Disorders Unit, Casa di Cura Villa Margherita - Neomesia, Arcugnano, Vicenza, Italy.
Compr Psychiatry. 2024 Jul;132:152493. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152493. Epub 2024 Apr 28.
OBJECTIVES: Eating disorders (ED) are severe psychiatric conditions. While the biological consequences of EDs are well established, including an increase in inflammatory biomarkers, the influence of psychological factors, such as loneliness, has only recently gained attention in research. Loneliness has been associated with more severe psychopathology in ED patients, while its association with inflammatory biomarkers has only been explored in the general population. For these reasons, we aimed to investigate any possible associations between psychological features, trauma, and inflammatory biomarkers with loneliness in people with ED. METHODS: This study examined the interaction between loneliness, eating psychopathology, and biological markers in people with EDs. A group of 97 female patients with various diagnoses of ED was assessed for loneliness, general and eating psychopathology, traumatic history during childhood, and clinical biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and urinary-free cortisol (UFC). RESULTS: The results indicated that individuals with ED who reported moderate to severe loneliness also displayed greater general psychopathology (p = 0.001), weight concerns (p = 0.007), and physical neglect during childhood (p = 0.006). Furthermore, people with higher levels of loneliness also had higher inflammatory indexes (ESR p = 0.001, CRP p = 0.027) and were positively correlated with markers of stress reaction such as UFC (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the importance of considering loneliness in the assessment of individuals with an ED. We observed notable associations between loneliness and increased psychopathology (both general and specific to eating), as well as higher levels of inflammation and childhood physical neglect. Addressing loneliness may contribute to improving overall well-being and potentially support recovery. This consideration encompasses both psychological and physical factors that interplay in the clinical presentation of individuals.
目的：饮食失调（ED）是严重的精神疾病。虽然 ED 的生物学后果已经得到充分证实，包括炎症生物标志物的增加，但心理因素（如孤独）的影响在最近的研究中才受到关注。孤独与 ED 患者更严重的精神病理学有关，而其与炎症生物标志物的关系仅在普通人群中得到了探讨。基于这些原因，我们旨在研究 ED 患者的心理特征、创伤和炎症生物标志物与孤独感之间是否存在任何可能的关联。
方法：本研究考察了 ED 患者中孤独感、饮食心理病理和生物标志物之间的相互作用。一组 97 名患有各种 ED 诊断的女性患者接受了孤独感、一般和饮食心理病理、童年创伤史以及 C 反应蛋白（CRP）、红细胞沉降率（ESR）和尿游离皮质醇（UFC）等临床生物标志物的评估。
结果：结果表明，报告有中度至重度孤独感的 ED 患者也表现出更严重的一般心理病理（p=0.001）、体重担忧（p=0.007）和童年时期的身体忽视（p=0.006）。此外，孤独感较高的人也具有更高的炎症指标（ESR p=0.001，CRP p=0.027），并且与应激反应标志物如 UFC 呈正相关（p<0.05）。
结论：这些发现强调了在评估 ED 个体时考虑孤独感的重要性。我们观察到孤独感与增加的心理病理（包括一般和特定于饮食的心理病理）之间存在显著关联，以及更高水平的炎症和童年时期的身体忽视。解决孤独感可能有助于提高整体幸福感，并可能支持康复。这种考虑包括在个体临床表现中相互作用的心理和生理因素。
Front Psychiatry. 2024-12-10
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