A multi-country examination of the relationship between perfectionism and disordered eating: the indirect effect of obsessive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive symptoms

TL;DR

This study explores how perfectionism relates to disordered eating through obsessive beliefs and OCD symptoms in adults from three countries.

Contribution

The study identifies obsessive beliefs and OCD symptoms as indirect mediators between perfectionism and disordered eating.

Findings

Higher perfectionism and obsessive beliefs are linked to greater OCD symptoms and disordered eating scores.

OCD symptoms partially mediate the relationship between perfectionism and disordered eating.

Combined interventions targeting perfectionism and OCD may benefit individuals with disordered eating.

Abstract

Despite the extensive literature on the association between perfectionism and disordered eating (DE), only scant attention has been given to the underlying processes that may mediate this relationship. The present study aimed to contribute to existing literature by investigating the direct and indirect relations between perfectionism and DE through obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and obsessive beliefs, among community adults from three different countries and cultural backgrounds (i.e. Poland, Italy and Lebanon).

This is a cross-sectional study that was carried-out among 977 community adults (77.1% females, mean age: 21.94 ± 3.14 years) using the snowball sampling technique.

Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) symptoms and obsessive beliefs had a partial indirect effect in the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and disordered eating. Higher multidimensional perfectionism/obsessive beliefs were significantly associated with greater OCD symptoms and directly associated with higher DE scores. Finally, higher OCD symptoms were significantly linked to higher DE scores.

The preliminary results suggest that it would be helpful for clinicians to routinely include measures of perfectionism, OCD and obsessive beliefs when dealing with individuals who present DE problems. In addition, results hold promise for the combined use of perfectionism and OCD interventions as a potentially beneficial treatment option for DE concerns.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40337-024-01030-y.

Despite the extensive literature on the association between perfectionism and disordered eating (DE), only scant attention has been given to the underlying processes that may have an indirect effect in this relationship. Obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) symptoms and obsessive beliefs had a partial indirect effect in the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and disordered eating. The preliminary results suggest that it would be helpful for clinicians to routinely include measures of perfectionism, OCD and obsessive beliefs when dealing with individuals who present disordered eating problems. In addition, results hold promise for the combined use of perfectionism and OCD interventions as a potentially beneficial treatment option for disordered eating concerns.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40337-024-01030-y.

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