Mediational Effect of Fairburn's Transdiagnostic Mechanisms Between Attachment to the Mother and Eating Disorder Symptoms in a Clinical Sample

Laura Cortés-García; Carmen Martínez Calvo; Carmen Senra

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.852977

Mediational Effect of Fairburn's Transdiagnostic Mechanisms Between Attachment to the Mother and Eating Disorder Symptoms in a Clinical Sample

Front Psychol. 2022 Apr 18:13:852977. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.852977. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Laura Cortés-García¹, Carmen Martínez Calvo², Carmen Senra³

Affiliations

¹ PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
² Unit of Eating Disorders, Provincial Hospital of Conxo, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
³ Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Abstract

Objective: Research has supported a link between insecure attachment and eating disorders (EDs); however, little is known about how this influence is exerted in young female EDs patients. This study tested, for the first time, a multiple mediational model, wherein the four Fairburn's transdiagnostic mechanisms mediated the relationship between attachment to the mother and ED symptoms.

Methods: A total of 101 female young EDs patients aged 15-24 were administered the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment, Eating Disorder Inventory-3 and Eating Attitudes Test-26 to assess attachment, the four transdiagnostic maintaining mechanisms and ED symptoms, respectively.

Results: Comparison analyses showed that there were no significant differences between the diagnostic groups in terms of attachment and the transdiagnostic variables. Multiple mediational analyses indicated that low self-esteem and clinical perfectionism were significant mediators between insecure attachment to the mother and ED symptoms, while controlling for depressive symptoms.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the distal risk influence of insecure attachment to the mother in the development of ED symptoms might be explained by low self-esteem and high clinical perfectionism, controlling for depressive symptoms. Further investigation into the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatments targeting insecure attachment representations for young EDs patients is recommended.

Keywords: eating disorder; female patient; insecure attachment; multiple mediation analysis; transdiagnostic mechanisms.