Dimensions of insight in eating disorders: clinical and psychological predictors

This cross-sectional study explores global and specific dimensions of insight in adults with eating disorders (EDs) in partial hospitalization and explores associations with clinical and psychological characteristics. Seventy-seven patients with EDs. were assessed using the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight in Eating Disorders (SAI-ED) which includes five domains: awareness of illness, awareness of symptoms, treatment engagement, subtotal, and total insight scores. Additional measures included the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) subscales for Drive for Thinness (DT), Interoceptive Awareness (IA), and Maturity Fears (MF). Multivariate regression analyses revealed that longer duration of illness and higher Drive for Thinness were positively associated with total insight, while higher depression scores were negatively associated. Awareness of illness was predicted by current body mass index (BMI) and Interoceptive Awareness; Awareness of Symptoms was associated with BMI and Maturity Fears; and Treatment Engagement was predicted by duration of illness, depression, and Maturity Fears. Findings indicate distinct relationships between specific insight dimensions and psychological characteristics in ED patients, highlighting the complex interplay of psychopathological factors influencing insight levels during partial hospitalization.