The Mediating Role of Transdiagnostic Factors in a Clinical Sample of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with Eating Disorders

Abstract

Researchers have consistently examined eating disorders (EDs) in White female populations; however, EDs impact people with diverse cultural identities. Within the ED literature, there remains a need to explore the role of transdiagnostic factors in Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) individuals with EDs. This study examines the relationships between ED symptomology, anxiety sensitivity, experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and adaptive coping in 484 BIPOC clients in ED treatment. After conducting a series of linear regressions and mediation analyses, the following results emerged: (a) Mindfulness significantly predicted adaptive coping, accounting for 6.3% of the variance; and (b) adaptive coping and mindfulness partially mediated the relationships between anxiety sensitivity and ED symptomology and fully mediated the relationship between experiential avoidance and ED symptomology. These findings demonstrate that transdiagnostic mechanisms may predict ED symptomology in BIPOC individuals, presenting important implications for culturally responsive ED treatment.