The prevalence and clinical correlates of body-focused repetitive behaviors in eating disorders.

Abstract

Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and eating disorders (EDs) involve persistent, self-directed behaviors causing distress and impairment. Despite similarities, the relationship between the two is understudied. We examined clinical and subclinical BFRB prevalence in individuals with EDs, tested associations with ED and obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, and compared BFRB occurrence between ED subtypes. The sample included 95 female adults and adolescents in residential ED treatment (51% anorexia nervosa-restricting, 37% anorexia nervosa-binge-eating/purging, 9% bulimia nervosa, 3% other EDs). The Habit Questionnaire, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, and Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale assessed BFRBs, ED symptoms, and OC symptoms, respectively. BFRBs were highly prevalent in the sample, with 37% meeting clinically significant levels and 31% displaying subclinical BFRBs. The most common clinically significant BFRBs were skin picking (28%), mouth chewing (10%), and hair pulling (9%). Higher ED and OC symptom severity were both associated with the presence of any presence of a co-occurring BFRB. BFRB prevalence did not differ between restricting and binge-eating/purging ED subtypes. Overall, co-occurring BFRBs were common in this residential ED sample, highlighting the need for routine screening. Both ED and OC symptom severity were uniquely related to BFRB occurrence. Future research should explore the underlying mechanisms to better understand the relationship between BFRBs and EDs.