The role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders.

Anorexia nervosa has been associated with high levels of ruminative thoughts about eating, shape and weight as well as avoidance of emotion and experience. This study examined the associations between disorder-specific rumination, mindfulness, experiential avoidance and eating disorder symptoms. A s...

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Main Authors: Cowdrey, F, Park, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2012
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author Cowdrey, F
Park, R
author_facet Cowdrey, F
Park, R
author_sort Cowdrey, F
collection OXFORD
description Anorexia nervosa has been associated with high levels of ruminative thoughts about eating, shape and weight as well as avoidance of emotion and experience. This study examined the associations between disorder-specific rumination, mindfulness, experiential avoidance and eating disorder symptoms. A sample of healthy females (n=228) completed a battery of on-line self-report measures. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that ruminative brooding on eating, weight and shape concerns was uniquely associated with eating disorder symptoms, above and beyond anxiety and depression symptoms. In a small group (n=42) of individuals with a history of anorexia nervosa, only reflection on eating weight and shape was able to predict eating disorder symptoms when controlling for depression and anxiety. The results suggest that rumination (both brooding and reflection) on eating, weight and shape concerns may be a process which exacerbates eating disorder symptoms. Examining rumination may improve understanding of the cognitive processes which underpin anorexia nervosa and this may in turn aid the development of novel strategies to augment existing interventions. Replication in a larger clinical sample is warranted.
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spelling oxford-uuid:372fd6ed-2a4f-4e50-ae2a-6affccaaccb72022-03-26T13:42:29ZThe role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:372fd6ed-2a4f-4e50-ae2a-6affccaaccb7EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2012Cowdrey, FPark, RAnorexia nervosa has been associated with high levels of ruminative thoughts about eating, shape and weight as well as avoidance of emotion and experience. This study examined the associations between disorder-specific rumination, mindfulness, experiential avoidance and eating disorder symptoms. A sample of healthy females (n=228) completed a battery of on-line self-report measures. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that ruminative brooding on eating, weight and shape concerns was uniquely associated with eating disorder symptoms, above and beyond anxiety and depression symptoms. In a small group (n=42) of individuals with a history of anorexia nervosa, only reflection on eating weight and shape was able to predict eating disorder symptoms when controlling for depression and anxiety. The results suggest that rumination (both brooding and reflection) on eating, weight and shape concerns may be a process which exacerbates eating disorder symptoms. Examining rumination may improve understanding of the cognitive processes which underpin anorexia nervosa and this may in turn aid the development of novel strategies to augment existing interventions. Replication in a larger clinical sample is warranted.
spellingShingle Cowdrey, F
Park, R
The role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders.
title The role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders.
title_full The role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders.
title_fullStr The role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders.
title_full_unstemmed The role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders.
title_short The role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders.
title_sort role of experiential avoidance rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders
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