Emotion-processing deficits in eating disorders.
OBJECTIVE
First, we measured both emotional awareness and alexithymia to understand better emotion-processing deficits in eating disorder patients (EDs). Second, we increased the reliability of the measures by limiting the influence of confounding factors (negative affects).


METHODS
Seventy females with eating disorders were compared with 70 female controls. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; depression), the Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS; anxiety), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS; alexithymia), and the Level of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS).


RESULTS
EDs exhibited higher alexithymia scores and lower LEAS scores, with an inability to identify and describe their own emotions, as well as an impairment in mentalizing others' emotional experience. Whereas alexithymia scores were related to depression scores, LEAS scores were not. After controlling for depression, alexithymia scores were similar in EDs and controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The marked impairment in emotion processing found in EDs is independent of affective disorders. Thus, the joint use of TAS and LEAS suggests a global emotion-processing deficit in EDs.
Bydlowski
Sarah
S
Department of Psychiatry, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France. sarah.bydlowski@free.fr
Corcos
Maurice
M
Jeammet
Philippe
P
Paterniti
Sabrina
S
Berthoz
Sylvie
S
Laurier
Catherine
C
Chambry
Jean
J
Consoli
Silla M
SM
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004644:Emotions; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010297:Paris; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires