An examination of the prospective impact of bulimic symptoms and dietary restraint on life hassles and social support

Abstract Background The stress generation hypothesis posits that individuals with psychopathology engage in maladaptive behaviors that create stress. Although extensively researched in the depression literature, few studies have investigated whether the stress generation hypothesis applies to eating...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of affective disorders 2016-02, Vol.191, p.24-28
Main Authors: Kwan, Mun Yee, Gordon, Kathryn H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Bulimia - complications
Bulimia - psychology
Bulimic symptoms
Depression - complications
Depression - psychology
Dietary restraint
Feeding Behavior - psychology
Female
Humans
Life hassles
Male
Prospective Studies
Psychiatry
Regression Analysis
Social Support
Stress generation
Stress, Psychological - complications
Stress, Psychological - psychology
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Summary:Abstract Background The stress generation hypothesis posits that individuals with psychopathology engage in maladaptive behaviors that create stress. Although extensively researched in the depression literature, few studies have investigated whether the stress generation hypothesis applies to eating disorders. This study examined whether bulimic symptoms and dietary restraint predict future life hassles and low social support among undergraduate students. Methods Three hundred seventy-four undergraduate students participated in this two-part prospective study through a secure online system. They completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms, bulimic symptoms, dietary restraint, life hassles, and social support. Results Regression analyses revealed that baseline bulimic symptoms predicted greater life hassles but not lower social support one month later, after statistically controlling for baseline measures. Baseline dietary restraint did not predict future life hassles or social support. Limitations Limitations include use of self-report measures, suboptimal response rates at the follow-up assessment, and use of a non-clinical sample with primarily White participants. Conclusions These results provide preliminary support for the stress generation hypothesis in relation to bulimic symptoms. Individuals with bulimic symptoms may generate stressors similar to those experiencing depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that emphasizing stress management in the treatment of individuals with bulimic symptoms could potentially improve treatment outcomes.
ISSN:0165-0327
1573-2517
DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2015.11.009