title: An experimental investigation of verbal expression of emotion in anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to use an experimental design to investigate verbal expression of emotion in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patients with AN, 26 patients with BN and 34 healthy controls (HCs) were videoed talking about discrete emotional experiences. Talks were analysed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. Participants also completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  People with AN used fewer words when describing their emotional experiences and fewer positive affect words than HCs. People with BN were indistinguishable from HCs. Both ED groups had higher scores on the suppression subscale of the ERQ compared with HCs. Suppression was negatively correlated with negative verbal expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights differences between AN and BN in emotion expression. It supports a model of AN, which highlights emotion inhibition as a maintaining factor of the illness. Methods of emotion regulation in EDs may contribute to increased negative mood and poorer social functioning.
authors.affiliation: King's College, Division of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Section of Eating Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. helen.davies@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Swan
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tchanturia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D019260:Expressed Emotion / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*