Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Identity Functioning in Patients with an Eating Disorder: Developmental Trajectories throughout Treatment

Margaux Verschueren
,
Laurence Claes
* ORCID logo ,
Nina Palmeroni
,
Leni Raemen
,
Philip Moons
ORCID logo ,
Liesbeth Bruckers
ORCID logo ,
Geert Molenberghs
,
Eva Dierckx
,
Katrien Schoevaerts
,
Koen Luyckx
Version 1 : Received: 18 January 2024 / Approved: 19 January 2024 / Online: 19 January 2024 (09:20:49 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Verschueren, M.; Claes, L.; Palmeroni, N.; Raemen, L.; Moons, P.; Bruckers, L.; Molenberghs, G.; Dierckx, E.; Schoevaerts, K.; Luyckx, K. Identity Functioning in Patients with an Eating Disorder: Developmental Trajectories throughout Treatment. Nutrients 2024, 16, 591. Verschueren, M.; Claes, L.; Palmeroni, N.; Raemen, L.; Moons, P.; Bruckers, L.; Molenberghs, G.; Dierckx, E.; Schoevaerts, K.; Luyckx, K. Identity Functioning in Patients with an Eating Disorder: Developmental Trajectories throughout Treatment. Nutrients 2024, 16, 591.

Abstract

Increasing research has indicated a strong association between identity functioning and eating disorder (ED) symptomatology. However, a detailed investigation of identity throughout ED treatment is lacking. The present longitudinal study examined identity in inpatients with an ED and explored its co-development with ED symptomatology throughout treatment. At admission (Wave 1), 110 women with an ED (Mage=21, SD=6.08, range:14-45) participated, of whom 83.64% participated during treatment (Wave 2) and 55.45% at discharge (Wave 3). Questionnaires on identity synthesis, identity confusion, identity processes, and ED symptomatology were completed. Latent growth curve modeling was used to address the research questions. Throughout treatment, a decrease in identity confusion and an increase in identity synthesis and adaptive identity processes were found. Accordingly, increases in identity synthesis and identification with commitment were related to general decreases in drive for thinness and body dis-satisfaction. Similarly, such decreases in ED symptoms were related to general decreases in identity confusion and ruminative exploration. The present study points to an increase in identity functioning throughout treatment, and longitudinal associations between identity functioning and ED symptomatology were found. Helping the patient to decrease ruminative exploration and to increase identification with previously made life commitments seem important in ED treatment.

Keywords

identity; synthesis; identity confusion; eating disorder symptomatology; treatment; latent tra-jectories

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Other

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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