title: The level of associated depression and anxiety traits improves during weight regain in eating disorder patients.
abstract: We assessed whether re-nutrition and weight gain have an influence on comorbid depression and anxiety in patients hospitalised for chronic eating disorders (ED). Seventy-five inpatients agreed to participate by completing the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-13), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y) before, during and after three months of treatment. Patients suffering from either anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa successfully regained weight during treatment. This weight gain was accompanied by statistically significant reductions in ED symptoms. Anxiety and, to a lesser extent, depressive symptoms diminished, but remained at pathological levels, with between diagnostic subtype differences. Improvement of depressive (r=0.77) and anxiety (r=0.64) levels were significantly (p<0.001) and positively correlated with the reduction of eating attitudes (EAT). These results are discussed in the context of re-orienting the therapeutic strategies aimed at reducing emotional suffering in patients with ED.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Mental Illnesses & Brain Disorders, Sainte-Anne Hospital, 100 rue de la Santé, 75674 Paris Cedex 14, France. loretta.sala@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mirabel-Sarron
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gorwood
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pham-Scottez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blanchet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rouillon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D001835:Body Weight; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain