Childhood Emotional Abuse and Disordered Eating Among Undergraduate Females: Mediating Influence of Alexithymia and Distress

• NCJ Number: 214270
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 30 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2006 Pages: 393-407
• Author(s): Anita R. Hund; Dorothy L. Espelage
• Date Published: April 2006
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study explored the relationship between childhood emotional abuse (CEA), disordered eating (DE), alexithymia, and general distress (GD) among a nonclinical sample of female college students.

Abstract

Overall, CEA and DE were related through a series of complex mediating relationships. Specifically, CEA was associated with alexithymia, which was further related to GD. Restrictive eating behaviors and attitudes then mediated the relationship between GD and bulimic behaviors. The findings show that CEA can have negative consequences for its survivors. Treatment of CEA survivors with eating disorders should adopt a holistic approach rather than targeting specific symptoms. Participants were 88 female college students who completed self-report surveys measuring the variables under examination. Specific measures included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Emotional Abuse Subscale and the Eating Disorder Inventory, among others. Following the calculation of descriptive statistics, structural equation modeling was conducted to test the relative fit of three competing models. Follow-up studies should attempt to replicate these findings using a community sample and special efforts to increase the racial diversity of respondents. Figures, tables, references