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. 2019 Mar;27(2):161-172.
doi: 10.1002/erv.2635. Epub 2018 Aug 22.

Associations between dimensions of anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder: An examination of personality and psychological factors in patients with anorexia nervosa

Cheri A Levinson  1 , Stephanie C Zerwas  2 , Leigh C Brosof  1 , Laura M Thornton  2 , Michael Strober  3 , Bernadette Pivarunas  4 , James J Crowley  5 , Zeynep Yilmaz  2 , Wade H Berrettini  6 , Harry Brandt  7 , Steven Crawford  7 , Manfred M Fichter  8 , Katherine A Halmi  9 , Craig Johnson  10 , Allan S Kaplan  11 , Maria La Via  2 , James Mitchell  12 , Alessandro Rotondo  13 , D Blake Woodside  14 , Walter H Kaye  15 , Cynthia M Bulik  2   16   17
Affiliations

Associations between dimensions of anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder: An examination of personality and psychological factors in patients with anorexia nervosa

Cheri A Levinson et al. Eur Eat Disord Rev. 2019 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are highly comorbid. However, the factors that account for this comorbidity are poorly understood. We examined the core dimensions of AN and OCD and psychological and personality factors shared by both disorders.

Method: In path analyses (N = 732 women with either current AN or recovered from AN), we examined which factors were uniquely and independently associated with the core dimensions of AN and OCD. We also examined recovery from AN as a moderator.

Results: When individuals with AN reported greater concern over mistakes, they endorsed more severity in both AN and OCD core dimensions. These unique associations existed above and beyond all other transdiagnostic personality and psychological factors and regardless of AN recovery status.

Conclusions: Concern over mistakes partially accounts for severity in the core dimensions of both AN and OCD. Concern over mistakes may represent an important target in the aetiology of AN and OCD.

Keywords: anorexia nervosa; comorbidity; concern over mistakes; obsessive-compulsive disorder; transdiagnostic.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest

CM Bulik reports: Shire (grant recipient, Scientific Advisory Board member) and Pearson and Walker (author, royalty recipient). Other authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Model of Obsessions, Compulsions, and Drive for Thinness. All paths modeled, only significant paths (βs) are included below. Bolded variables and paths denotes shared associations across OCD and AN
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Model of Obsessions, Compulsions, and Body Dissatisfaction. All paths modeled, only significant paths (βs) are included below. Bolded variables and paths denotes shared associations across OCD and AN.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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