Emotion Dysregulation in Patients with Eating Disorders: The Role of Metacognitions and Repetitive Negative Thinking

Using the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model as a basis, this study explored whether, in patients with eating disorders (EDs), metacognitions and repetitive negative thinking are associated with higher levels of emotion dysregulation.

104 outpatients with eating disorders and 104 controls from the general population were recruited. Emotion dysregulation, metacognitions, rumination, worry, anxiety, and depression were assessed. T-tests, Mann–Whitney tests, correlation and hierarchal regression analyses were run.

Patients with EDs, compared to controls, reported significantly higher levels of emotion dysregulation, positive beliefs worry, negative beliefs about thoughts concerning uncontrollability and danger, beliefs about the need to control thoughts, rumination, and worry. Beliefs about the need to control thoughts and worry significantly predicted emotion dysregulation.

Among patients with EDs emotion dysregulation appears to be associated with the endorsement of beliefs about the need to control thoughts and worry. Beliefs about the need to control thoughts and worry could be a suitable therapeutic target to reduce emotion dysregulation among patients with EDs.