Attachment insecurity mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and eating disorder psychopathology in a clinical sample: a structural equation model.
OBJECTIVES
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.


METHOD
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.
['Tasca|Giorgio A|GA|', 'Ritchie|Kerri|K|', 'Zachariades|Fotini|F|', 'Proulx|Genevieve|G|', 'Trinneer|Anne|A|', 'Balfour|Louise|L|', 'Demidenko|Natasha|N|', 'Hayden|Genevieve|G|', 'Wong|Alison|A|', 'Bissada|Hany|H|']
D000328:Adult D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse D002170:Canada D002648:Child D002649:Child Abuse D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008962:Models, Theoretical D009769:Object Attachment D012307:Risk Factors D057566:Self Report D055815:Young Adult
Attachment Trauma Eating disorders Structural equation modeling Childhood maltreatment Child abuse and trauma scale