title: Attachment insecurity mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and eating disorder psychopathology in a clinical sample: a structural equation model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Childhood maltreatment occurs often among those with an eating disorder and is considered a nonspecific risk factor. However, the mechanisms by which childhood maltreatment may lead to an eating disorder are not well understood. The current study tests a model in which attachment insecurity is hypothesized to mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and eating disorder psychopathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment seeking adults with eating disorders (N=308) completed questionnaires about childhood maltreatment, eating disorder psychopathology, and adult attachment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Structural equation models indicated that childhood trauma had a direct effect on eating disorder symptoms. Also, attachment anxiety and avoidance each equally mediated the childhood maltreatment to eating disorder psychopathology relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Attachment insecurity, characterized by affect dysregulation and interpersonal sensitivities may help to explain why eating disorder symptoms may be one consequence of childhood maltreatment in a clinical sample. Clinicians treating primarily those with trauma might assess for disordered eating as a potential manifestation of the sequelae of trauma and attachment insecurity.
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa, Canada; The Ottawa Hospital, Canada; Carleton University, Canada.
authors.forename: Giorgio A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Tasca
authors.forename: Kerri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: Fotini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zachariades
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Proulx
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trinneer
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balfour
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Demidenko
authors.forename: Genevieve
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hayden
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Hany
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bissada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009769:Object Attachment; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attachment; Child abuse and trauma scale; Childhood maltreatment; Eating disorders; Structural equation modeling; Trauma