Page 81 - JCBP-2-4

Journal of Clinical and

Basic Psychosomatics

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Involvement of adverse life events in body image

distortion in a patient with eating disorders

Ester Idini * , Pamela Paredes-Carreño , Mayte Navarro-Gil ,
1
2
3
3,4
5
Alberto Barceló-Soler , Marina Niubó-Cuadras , and Javier Garcia-Campayo 6
1 Department of Psychiatric, University Reina Sofia Hospital, Cordoba, Andalucia, Spain
2 Department of Psychiatric, Reina Sofia Hospital. Tudela, Navarra, Spain
3 Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain
4 Department of Psychology and Sociology, Aragón Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón),
Zaragoza, Aragón, Spain
5 Day Hospital, Psychotherapeutic Center (CPB), Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain
6 Department of Psichiatry, University of Zaragoza, Spain

Abstract

Adverse life events (ALEs), particularly interpersonal ALEs and those experienced
during childhood are associated with adult psychopathology. Altered eating behaviors
and body image distortion (BID) have been reported in maltreated children. This study
aimed to evaluate the presence of interpersonal ALEs before the age of 13 years in
patients with eating disorders (ED) and clarify its relationship with BID. This observational
case–control study comprised the ED group, including 79 outpatients with ED, and two
control groups, including 20 outpatients with depressive disorder and 41 participants
*Corresponding author: with no history of mental illness. The presence of ALEs was determined using the
Ester Idini Traumatic Events Questionnaire. To assess BID, the contouring drawing rate scale was
(ester.idini.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es) used, and visual BID was distinguished from non-visual BID. Data were collected and
Citation: Idini E, Paredes- processed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences v28. All tests were two-tailed
Carreño P, Navarro-Gil M, (significance level of 0.05). Patients with ED had a higher proportion of interpersonal
Barceló-Soler A, Niubó-Cuadras M,
Garcia-Campayo J. Involvement of ALEs during childhood (P = 0.065). In the ED group, patients with interpersonal ALEs
adverse life events in body image during childhood overestimated their shape (P = 0.021). The non-visual BID was
distortion in a patient with eating significantly higher in patients with childhood ALEs. In a logistic regression model, the
disorders. J Clin Basic Psychosom.
2024;2(4):4662. presence of interpersonal ALEs during childhood as an independent variable predicted
doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4662 visual and non-visual BID in patients with ED. During the estimation of body shape,
it appears that the negative emotions experienced during childhood are shifted to
Received: August 27, 2024
the body shape itself. Thus, the BID experienced is attributed more to the unresolved
Accepted: October 8, 2024 emotions of the maltreated individuals than to the social pressures experienced.
Published Online: November 11, 2024
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). Keywords: Body image; Adverse life events; Childhood abuse; Eating disorders;
This is an Open-Access article Perfectionism
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is
properly cited. 1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Eating disorders (EDs) are serious medical conditions that are often comorbid with
Publishing remains neutral with psychiatric disorders. Poor illness outcomes are associated with body image distortion (BID)
1
regard to jurisdictional claims in 2
published maps and institutional and dissatisfaction with one’s shape. Patients with ED who have experienced emotional and
affiliations. physical abuse are more likely to have concerns about body shape and weight. 3

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2024) 1 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4662