“Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a sample of patients attending sligo/leitrim mental health services with a diagnosis of eating disorder”

Introduction The term Orthorexia derives from the Greek “ortho – correct” and “orexis – appetite”; Orthorexia Nervosa is a pathological fixation with healthy eating that, starting with the idea to obtain a maximum health with a proper diet, leads to malnourishment and other medical sequelae, loss...

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Main Authors: I. Graffeo, M. Harron, E. O’Mahony
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2021-04-01
Series:European Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821009408/type/journal_article
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author I. Graffeo
M. Harron
E. O’Mahony
author_facet I. Graffeo
M. Harron
E. O’Mahony
author_sort I. Graffeo
collection DOAJ
description Introduction The term Orthorexia derives from the Greek “ortho – correct” and “orexis – appetite”; Orthorexia Nervosa is a pathological fixation with healthy eating that, starting with the idea to obtain a maximum health with a proper diet, leads to malnourishment and other medical sequelae, loss of relationships, loss of self-esteem, poor quality of life in general. Orthorexia, despite receiving broad empirical evidence, is not currently included in any psychiatric diagnostic manual. Objectives The main aim of this study is to investigate its presence in a sample of patients already diagnosed with a canonical eating disorder and also to understand eventual overlaps with other clinical disorders in order to optimize treatment and follow up. Methods The ORTO-15 questionnaire, developed by an Italian team of researchers in 2005, was used to achieve the above aims: it is a tool comprehensive of 15 questions that assesses eating habits perceived as healthy. Really interesting and fascinating is to comprehend if people with a diagnosis of eating disorder present orthorectic behaviour and how this emerging reality fits in the Irish society with its peculiarities and uniqueness. Results The Point Prevalence obtained is 17.9%. The expected rates of Orthorexia Nervosa in the general population are between 6.9% and 57.6%, with a peak of 81.8% in specific populations, fact that places our examined sample in the lower side of the prevalence previously considered in other studies. Conclusions It is significant the absence of correlation found between OCD and ON and that ON is more linked to Bulimia Nervosa rather than Anorexia Nervosa.
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spelling doaj.art-2d2e7a81e875420fb362662bd21df9512023-11-17T05:08:16ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S351S35110.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.940“Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a sample of patients attending sligo/leitrim mental health services with a diagnosis of eating disorder”I. Graffeo0M. Harron1E. O’Mahony2Sligo/leitrim Mental Health Services, St Columba’s Hospital, Sligo, IrelandPsychiatry, Sligo/Leitrim Mental Health Services, Sligo, IrelandPsychiatry, Sligo/Leitrim Mental Health Services, Sligo, Ireland Introduction The term Orthorexia derives from the Greek “ortho – correct” and “orexis – appetite”; Orthorexia Nervosa is a pathological fixation with healthy eating that, starting with the idea to obtain a maximum health with a proper diet, leads to malnourishment and other medical sequelae, loss of relationships, loss of self-esteem, poor quality of life in general. Orthorexia, despite receiving broad empirical evidence, is not currently included in any psychiatric diagnostic manual. Objectives The main aim of this study is to investigate its presence in a sample of patients already diagnosed with a canonical eating disorder and also to understand eventual overlaps with other clinical disorders in order to optimize treatment and follow up. Methods The ORTO-15 questionnaire, developed by an Italian team of researchers in 2005, was used to achieve the above aims: it is a tool comprehensive of 15 questions that assesses eating habits perceived as healthy. Really interesting and fascinating is to comprehend if people with a diagnosis of eating disorder present orthorectic behaviour and how this emerging reality fits in the Irish society with its peculiarities and uniqueness. Results The Point Prevalence obtained is 17.9%. The expected rates of Orthorexia Nervosa in the general population are between 6.9% and 57.6%, with a peak of 81.8% in specific populations, fact that places our examined sample in the lower side of the prevalence previously considered in other studies. Conclusions It is significant the absence of correlation found between OCD and ON and that ON is more linked to Bulimia Nervosa rather than Anorexia Nervosa. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821009408/type/journal_articleeating disordersorthorexia nervosaanorexia nervosaocd
spellingShingle I. Graffeo
M. Harron
E. O’Mahony
“Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a sample of patients attending sligo/leitrim mental health services with a diagnosis of eating disorder”
European Psychiatry
eating disorders
orthorexia nervosa
anorexia nervosa
ocd
title “Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a sample of patients attending sligo/leitrim mental health services with a diagnosis of eating disorder”
title_full “Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a sample of patients attending sligo/leitrim mental health services with a diagnosis of eating disorder”
title_fullStr “Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a sample of patients attending sligo/leitrim mental health services with a diagnosis of eating disorder”
title_full_unstemmed “Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a sample of patients attending sligo/leitrim mental health services with a diagnosis of eating disorder”
title_short “Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a sample of patients attending sligo/leitrim mental health services with a diagnosis of eating disorder”
title_sort prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in a sample of patients attending sligo leitrim mental health services with a diagnosis of eating disorder
topic eating disorders
orthorexia nervosa
anorexia nervosa
ocd
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821009408/type/journal_article
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AT eomahony prevalenceoforthorexianervosainasampleofpatientsattendingsligoleitrimmentalhealthserviceswithadiagnosisofeatingdisorder