title: Does anger mediate between personality and eating symptoms in bulimia nervosa?
abstract: The goals of the study were to explore anger correlation with bulimic symptoms and to test the mediation power of anger between personality and eating psychopathology. A total of 242 bulimia nervosa (BN) outpatients and 121 healthy controls were recruited. Assessment was performed using Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI); State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory 2 (STAXI-2); Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2); Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ); Binge Eating Scale (BES); and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Mediation was tested on the whole BN group, on controls and on two BN subgroups based on a previous history of anorexia nervosa. Self-Directedness and Cooperativeness extensively relate to anger and psychopathology in bulimic group. Bulimic symptoms are related to Trait Reactive Anger. Trait Anger and Anger Expression fully mediate Cooperativeness effects on binge eating and Impulsiveness in the BN subjects. Anger Expression-In partially mediates between Harm Avoidance and Social Insecurity/Interpersonal Distrust in BN subjects. The comparison with controls and the analysis of subgroups underlines that these patterns are specific for BN. Anger mediation between Cooperativeness, and binge eating and impulsive behaviours confirm the relevance of relational dynamics in the expression of these core eating symptoms. Relational skills may represent a relevant target for the treatment of BN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry Section, Service for Eating Disorders, Turin University, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amianto
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siccardi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abbate-Daga
authors.forename: Lucrezia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marech
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barosio
authors.forename: Secondo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fassino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires