Abstract

Purpose

Studies have shown significant associations of dissociative symptoms with both eating and addictive disorders; however, the different forms of dissociation have been relatively understudied in relation to food addiction (FA). The main aim of this study was to investigate the association of certain forms of dissociative experiences (i.e., absorption, detachment and compartmentalization) with FA symptoms in a nonclinical sample.

Methods

Participants (N = 755; 543 women; age range: 18–65; mean age: 28.22 ± 9.99 years) were evaluated using self‐report measures of FA, dissociation, eating disturbances, and general psychopathology.

Results

Compartmentalization experiences (defined as pathological over-segregation of higher mental functions) were independently associated with FA symptoms (β = 0.174; p = 0.013; CI = [0.008; 0.064]) even when confounding factors were controlled for.

Conclusion

This finding suggests that compartmentalization symptoms can have a role in the conceptualization of FA, with such two phenomena possibly sharing common pathogenic processes.

Level of evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.

Details

Title
Dissociative experiences of compartmentalization are associated with food addiction symptoms: results from a cross‐sectional report
Author
Carbone, Giuseppe Alessio 1 ; De Rossi, Elena 1 ; Prevete, Elisabeth 2 ; Tarsitani, Lorenzo 2 ; Corazza, Ornella 3 ; Massullo, Chiara 4 ; Farina, Benedetto 1 ; Pasquini, Massimo 2 ; Taddei, Ines 2 ; Biondi, Massimo 2 ; Imperatori, Claudio 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bersani, Francesco Saverio 2 

1  European University of Rome, Cognitive and Clinical Psychology Laboratory, Department of Human Sciences, Rome, Italy (GRID:grid.459490.5) (ISNI:0000 0000 8789 9792) 
2  Sapienza University of Rome, Department of Human Neurosciences, Rome, Italy (GRID:grid.7841.a) 
3  University of Hertfordshire, Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, Hatfield, UK (GRID:grid.5846.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2161 9644) 
4  Roma Tre University, Experimental Psychology Laboratory, Department of Education, Rome, Italy (GRID:grid.8509.4) (ISNI:0000000121622106) 
Pages
28
Publication year
2023
Publication date
Dec 2023
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
11244909
e-ISSN
15901262
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-023-01555-2
ProQuest document ID
2782074479
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.