Longitudinal Associations of Childhood Emotional Maltreatment With Disordered Eating Behaviors: Linking Mechanisms of Repetitive Negative Thinking and Body Dissatisfaction

Objective

The relationship between childhood emotional maltreatment and disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) has been well documented. However, the mechanisms that link these associations are underexplored, and most studies have focused on the roles of emotion-related symptoms or processes. Based on the stress process model, the present study investigated how childhood emotional maltreatment exerts long-term effects on DEBs in adulthood by examining the mediating roles of repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and body dissatisfaction.

Method

Four-wave and self-report survey data were collected from 668 Chinese young adults (66.8% female, M_age = 19.96 years, SD = 1.25) with a 6-month between-wave interval. Data were collected on childhood emotional maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse and neglect), RNT (i.e., past-oriented: rumination; future-oriented: worry), body dissatisfaction, loss of control eating, and restrained eating.

Results

Childhood emotional abuse recalled at T1 was positively associated with loss of control eating at T4 via worry at T2 and with restrained eating at T4 via a serial mediating pathway from worry at T2 to body dissatisfaction at T3. No significant indirect effects emerged for childhood emotional neglect and rumination or indirect pathways involving body dissatisfaction alone.

Discussion

Negative cognitive processes toward the future and body dissatisfaction are important mechanisms in the associations of early emotional threat with DEBs. The type of childhood maltreatment and RNT are important in this transmission. Interventions aimed at reducing loss of control over eating and restrained eating could work on decreasing worry and alleviating body dissatisfaction, particularly for people with experiences of early emotional threat.