TY - JOUR
T1 - Athletes with Eating Disorders: Analysis of Their Clinical Characteristics, Psychopathology and Response to Treatment
AU - Ibáñez-Caparrós, Ana
AU - Sánchez, Isabel
AU - Granero, Roser
AU - Jiménez-Murcia, Susana
AU - Rosinska, Magda
AU - Thiel, Ansgar
AU - Zipfel, Stephan
AU - Pablo, Joan de
AU - Camacho-Barcia, Lucia
AU - Fernandez-Aranda, Fernando
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/6/30
Y1 - 2023/6/30
N2 - Eating disorders (ED) have frequently been described among athletes. However, their specific features and therapy responses are lacking in the literature. The aims of this article were to compare clinical, psychopathological and personality traits between ED patients who were professional athletes (ED-A) with those who were not (ED-NA) and to explore differences in response to treatment. The sample comprised n = 104 patients with ED (n = 52 ED-A and n = 52 matched ED-NA) diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria. Evaluation consisted of a semi-structured face-to-face clinical interview conducted by expert clinicians and a psychometric battery. Treatment outcome was evaluated when the treatment program ended. ED-A patients showed less body dissatisfaction and psychological distress. No differences were found in treatment outcome among the groups. Within the ED-A group, those participants who performed individual sport activities and aesthetic sports presented higher eating psychopathology, more general psychopathology, differential personality traits and poor therapy outcome. Individual and aesthetic sports presented more severity and worse prognosis. Although usual treatment for ED might be similarly effective in ED-A and ED-NA, it might be important to develop preventive and early detection programs involving sports physicians and psychologists, coaches and family throughout the entire athletic career and afterwards.
AB - Eating disorders (ED) have frequently been described among athletes. However, their specific features and therapy responses are lacking in the literature. The aims of this article were to compare clinical, psychopathological and personality traits between ED patients who were professional athletes (ED-A) with those who were not (ED-NA) and to explore differences in response to treatment. The sample comprised n = 104 patients with ED (n = 52 ED-A and n = 52 matched ED-NA) diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria. Evaluation consisted of a semi-structured face-to-face clinical interview conducted by expert clinicians and a psychometric battery. Treatment outcome was evaluated when the treatment program ended. ED-A patients showed less body dissatisfaction and psychological distress. No differences were found in treatment outcome among the groups. Within the ED-A group, those participants who performed individual sport activities and aesthetic sports presented higher eating psychopathology, more general psychopathology, differential personality traits and poor therapy outcome. Individual and aesthetic sports presented more severity and worse prognosis. Although usual treatment for ED might be similarly effective in ED-A and ED-NA, it might be important to develop preventive and early detection programs involving sports physicians and psychologists, coaches and family throughout the entire athletic career and afterwards.
KW - eating disorders
KW - physical activity
KW - professional athletes
KW - treatment outcome
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85164739860&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/nu15133003
DO - 10.3390/nu15133003
M3 - Article
C2 - 37447333
SN - 2072-6643
VL - 15
SP - 3003
JO - Nutrients
JF - Nutrients
IS - 13
M1 - 3003
ER -