A multimodal investigation of dysfunctional body-related cognitions and attention bias as mechanisms underlying body dissatisfaction in individuals with eating disorders

• Applicant: Dr. Jessica Werthmann
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 469974039

Eating Disorders (EDs) are serious mental disorders that often take a chronic and persistent course. When considering that even with our best treatments for EDs such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy about half of the patients do not recover it becomes strikingly clear that there is room for treatment innovation. One way to advance treatment is to study mechanisms underlying key symptoms. Body dissatisfaction is a transdiagnostic core clinical feature of EDs, associated with treatment outcome and relapse and thus an important treatment target. To develop effective treatments for body dissatisfaction, we need to understand the mechanisms that give rise to body dissatisfaction. According to cognitive-behavioral theories of EDs, the activation of negative body-related self-schemas leads to dysfunctional attention processing of body-related cues, dysfunctional cognitions and negative emotions triggering body dissatisfaction. However, despite a strong theoretical framework, empirical evidence in clinical samples with EDs is yet sparse. Only the experimental manipulation of presumed causal factors can lead to a comprehensive understanding of key processes maintaining body dissatisfaction, as core symptom of EDs.Therefore, the main objective of this project is to empirically test these hypothesized mechanisms underlying body dissatisfaction within an experimental psychopathology framework. Analogue to the cognitive behavioural model of body dissatisfaction, we aim to conduct two independent studies that will test the causal role of dysfunctional body-related attention and dysfunctional body-related cognitions on body dissatisfaction. In each study, one of these mechanisms will be experimentally manipulated by means of innovative experimental paradigms (i.e., eye-tracking based attention bias modification to manipulate attention, and a cognitive restructuring training to manipulate dyfunctional cognitions) within a clinical sample of patients with EDs. Our understanding of processes underlying body dissatisfaction will be advanced by using a multimodal outcome assessment which entails the assessment of attention bias (based on eye-tracking), implicit and explicit body-related cognitions, negative emotions and cortisol assessment as proxy for psychobiological distress. Results of this project will tell us which mechanisms we need to target to treat body dissatisfaction, an understudied core clinical feature of EDs, and will therefore contribute to better treatment options for patients with EDs, urgently needed in this patient group.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professorin Dr. Brunna Tuschen-Caffier