Category: Eating Disorders
Caroline Christian, M.S.
Doctoral Student
The University of Louisville
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Carolyn Becker, Ph.D.
Professor
Trinity University
San Antonio, Texas
Claire Cusack, M.A.
Doctoral Student
The University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Kara Christensen, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Caroline Christian, M.S.
Doctoral Student
The University of Louisville
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Katheryn Kiser, PhD
Clinical Research Coordinator
Massachusetts General Hospital
Cambridge, Massachusetts
April Smith, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama
Eating disorders (EDs) will impact about 8.6% of women and 4.1% of men during their lifetime (Deloitte Access Economics, 2020). The costs of EDs are exorbitantly high, with an estimated annual cost of $64.7 billion in the United States alone (Deloitte Access Economics, 2020). However, we argue that the actual cost and prevalence of EDs is actually much higher.
Specifically, despite the high prevalence of ED symptoms, harmful stereotypes and stigma around EDs perpetuate the myth that EDs affect primarily young, white, cis-gender women (Schaumberg et al., 2017). As such, ED symptoms are often excluded in research and assessment for many psychological and medical illnesses, despite very high rates of co-occurrence, leaving many EDs undetected (e.g., Hudson et al., 2007). For example, EDs have a very high co-occurrence with medical illnesses (Grilo & Mitchell, 2009), and over 39% of individuals with mood and anxiety disorders endorsed clinically significant ED symptoms (Blinder et al., 2006). ED stereotypes also contribute underrepresentation of diverse groups in research on EDs, including LGBTQ+ individuals, black and indigenous people of color, active-duty military and veterans, and pregnant people. The limited research that does explore ED symptoms in these subpopulations suggests strikingly high prevalence rates and, importantly, unique concerns and presentations of EDs in these groups (Schaumberg et al., 2017). Thus, beyond investigating the prevalence of ED symptoms across groups, studying how ED symptoms interact with experiences unique to these populations can elucidate their role in maintaining related mental or physical health concerns, as well as delineate true rates of illness in these populations.
The goal of this symposium is to explore research on ED symptoms in diverse and underrepresented non-ED (primary diagnosis) samples to elucidate the true prevalence and influence of ED symptoms beyond stereotypical presentations. The first presenter will present on ED symptoms, ED-specific rumination, and gender-rumination in transgender and nonbinary individuals. The second presenter will report on the relationships across sleep problems and ED symptoms in undergraduate students with probable insomnia. The third presenter will discuss longitudinal associations between ED and depression symptoms in women across the pregnancy and postpartum transition period. The fourth presenter will present on networks of ED symptoms in active-duty military members, who are primarily men. The fifth presenter will present on the prevalence and presentation of ARFID and other ED symptoms in individuals with gastrointestinal comorbidities. Finally, the discussant will discuss the implications of this research, as well as insights from her research on ED symptoms in individuals experiencing food insecurity.
Understanding the role of ED symptoms in subpopulations that do not fit the stereotypical mold for EDs is crucial for identifying, preventing, and treating a wide range of concerns, beyond EDs alone. This research will help elucidate the true prevalence and cost of EDs and ED symptoms, and increase the quality of care for individuals from all backgrounds.
Presenter: Claire Cusack, M.A. – The University of Louisville
Co-author: Marita Cooper, PhD – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Co-author: Paz Galupo, PhD – Towson University
Presenter: Kara A. Christensen, Ph.D. – University of Kansas
Co-author: Nicole Short, Ph.D. – University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Co-author: Victoria Perko, M.A. – University of Kansas
Co-author: Kelsie Forbush, Ph.D. – University of Kansas
Presenter: Caroline Christian, M.S. – The University of Louisville
Co-author: Luis Sandoval-araujo, PhD – University of Louisville
Co-author: Cheri Levinson, Ph.D. – University of Louisville
Presenter: Katheryn G. Kiser, PhD – Massachusetts General Hospital
Co-author: Katheryn G. Kiser, PhD – Massachusetts General Hospital
Co-author: Lauren Canha, PhD – Massachusetts General Hospital
Co-author: Katherine Williams, B.S. – Massachusetts General Hospital
Co-author: Jessica McGoldrick, B.S. – Massachusetts General Hospital
Co-author: Tiffany Taft, PsyD – Northwestern University
Co-author: Jennifer J. Thomas, Ph.D. – Massachusetts General Hospital
Co-author: Hamed Khalili, MD, MPH – Massachusetts General Hospital
Co-author: Helen Burton Murray, Ph.D. – Massachusetts General Hospital
Presenter: April Smith, Ph.D. – Auburn University
Co-author: Shruti S. S. Kinkel-Ram, M.A. – Miami University
Co-author: William Grunewald, M.A. – Auburn University
Co-author: Lauren Forrest, Ph.D. – Penn State College of Medicine