Description
BACKGROUND:
Repeated exposure to
thin beauty ideals is part of the daily routine. Exposure to thin ideals
via mass media plays an important role in the development and
maintenance of eating disorders (EDs), low self-esteem, depressive or
anxious feelings in young females. It is important to elucidate the
circumstances under which exposure to thin ideals develops its
detrimental impact and to investigate whether these features are more
pronounced in EDs than in other mental disorders also related to
negative body image.
METHODS/ DESIGN:
We investigate the
following key questions: (1) Does laboratory induced exposure to thin
ideals (waiting room design) relate to impairments in terms of body
image, affect and eating behavior and biological stress response
(salivary alpha-amylase, salivary cortisol, heart rate and heart rate
variability) in 18 to 35 year old female suffering from anorexia and
bulimia nervosa (AN, BN) compared to female healthy controls and to a
sample of females suffering from mixed mental disorders (depression,
anxiety and somatic symptom disorder (SSD) disorders)? (2) How do
moderators such as cognitive distortions ("Thought-Shape Fusion, TSF"),
and correlates of emotion regulation (ER) moderate the influence of the
exposure? (3) Are these characteristics amenable to change after
treatment? Altogether 250 female participants including patients with
AN, BN, depressive, anxiety and SSD disorders, and healthy women will be
recruited in Switzerland and Germany.
DISCUSSION:
The findings will provide knowledge about the
role of moderators influencing the effects of exposure to thin ideals
promoted by mass media in eating disorder (ED) patients, patients
suffering from mixed mental disorders and healthy controls. Evaluating
their differential susceptibility will contribute to a better
understanding of the role of negative body image in the maintenance of
not only symptoms of ED, but also of depression, anxiety and SSD.
Additionally our results will shed light on the stability of effects in
healthy controls as well as in the patient groups before and after
treatment as usual. Findings foster the development of tailored
interventions including a training in specific ER strategies as well as
cognitive restructuring of distorted beliefs about the own body when
confronted with thin ideals.
TRIAL REGISTRATION:
German Clinical Trials
Register: DRKS00005709. Date of registration: 6 February, 2014.
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