In the United States, 11 million people fight the life and death battle with eating disorders, like anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating. Generally, society places a huge amount of emphasis on physical appearance. Many people believe that by achieving an ideal weight and shape they will achieve social acceptance. Striving for “attractiveness”, combined with college related stressors, like living away from home and having a mountain of school work, can have devastating effects. A recent study done at the University of Georgia investigated how eating disorders, psychological flexibility, and poor psychological outcomes were related in college students. The study is detailed in the article “Disordered Eating-Related Cognition and Psychological Flexibility as Predictors of Psychological Health Among College Students”.
Eating disorders are linked to distress, functional impairment, and negative psychological outcomes, like depression and anxiety. Even though eating disorders are a significant predictor, they do not necessarily lead to greater psychological distress. Research findings reported in the article suggest that psychological suffering is related to how people deal with dysfunctional private events. Dysfunctional private events are individual, and involve feeling negative emotions, or having self-defeating thoughts. The way a person relates to these events is known as their psychological flexibility. Basically, psychological flexibility is the behavioral pattern of experiencing private events without trying to judge, evaluate, avoid, fix, or change them, while also engaging in other activities. If a person has a high psychological flexibility then they can experience seemingly “negative” thoughts and feelings as mental events, without judgment or avoidance. A person with low psychological flexibility is likely to act along with negative thoughts they experience. An example indicated in the article is that someone who thinks of themselves as ugly or fat may avoid social gatherings to escape the fear of not being accepted. A person with high psychological flexibility is less likely to act along with this thought, because they know it is just a mental thought, not an undeniable truth. If a person has high psychological flexibility, then they are less likely to experience negative psychological problems, like depression, anxiety, self-harm, or substance use.
Thereby the purpose of the study performed at the University of Georgia was to investigate how people respond to private events (their psychological flexibility), and determine how and if psychological flexibility is linked to eating disorders and poor psychological outcomes. Poor psychological outcomes include psychological ill-health and emotional distress. In the study, participants filled out a 24 item self report questionnaire to assess cognitions related to eating disorders. Cognitions associated with eating disorders include the fear of weight gain, the importance of being thin and socially attractive, and low self esteem based on weight gain. The study found that cognitions related to eating disorders were in fact linked to general psychological ill-health and emotional distress. Results revealed that both eating disorder cognitions and psychological flexibility were significant predictors of general psychological ill-health and emotional distress in stressful interpersonal environments, like college.
Ultimately, suffering from a great amount of stress and exhaustion doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to acquire an eating disorder. As found in this study, a crucial factor in developing an eating disorder or another symptom of psychological ill health, is your psychological flexibility. In essence, a person with high psychological flexibility is able to deal with stressful events and thoughts, without acting negatively. A person with low psychological flexibility has a harder time dealing with low self-esteem and stressful events, and is more likely to develop an eating disorder, depression, or anxiety.
Eating disorders are linked to distress, functional impairment, and negative psychological outcomes, like depression and anxiety. Even though eating disorders are a significant predictor, they do not necessarily lead to greater psychological distress. Research findings reported in the article suggest that psychological suffering is related to how people deal with dysfunctional private events. Dysfunctional private events are individual, and involve feeling negative emotions, or having self-defeating thoughts. The way a person relates to these events is known as their psychological flexibility. Basically, psychological flexibility is the behavioral pattern of experiencing private events without trying to judge, evaluate, avoid, fix, or change them, while also engaging in other activities. If a person has a high psychological flexibility then they can experience seemingly “negative” thoughts and feelings as mental events, without judgment or avoidance. A person with low psychological flexibility is likely to act along with negative thoughts they experience. An example indicated in the article is that someone who thinks of themselves as ugly or fat may avoid social gatherings to escape the fear of not being accepted. A person with high psychological flexibility is less likely to act along with this thought, because they know it is just a mental thought, not an undeniable truth. If a person has high psychological flexibility, then they are less likely to experience negative psychological problems, like depression, anxiety, self-harm, or substance use.
Thereby the purpose of the study performed at the University of Georgia was to investigate how people respond to private events (their psychological flexibility), and determine how and if psychological flexibility is linked to eating disorders and poor psychological outcomes. Poor psychological outcomes include psychological ill-health and emotional distress. In the study, participants filled out a 24 item self report questionnaire to assess cognitions related to eating disorders. Cognitions associated with eating disorders include the fear of weight gain, the importance of being thin and socially attractive, and low self esteem based on weight gain. The study found that cognitions related to eating disorders were in fact linked to general psychological ill-health and emotional distress. Results revealed that both eating disorder cognitions and psychological flexibility were significant predictors of general psychological ill-health and emotional distress in stressful interpersonal environments, like college.
Ultimately, suffering from a great amount of stress and exhaustion doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to acquire an eating disorder. As found in this study, a crucial factor in developing an eating disorder or another symptom of psychological ill health, is your psychological flexibility. In essence, a person with high psychological flexibility is able to deal with stressful events and thoughts, without acting negatively. A person with low psychological flexibility has a harder time dealing with low self-esteem and stressful events, and is more likely to develop an eating disorder, depression, or anxiety.
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