Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
35 papers
This meta-analysis combined 241 effect sizes from 114 studies to test how six habitual emotion-regulation strategies relate to symptoms of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and substance-related problems. Rumination showed the strongest (large) link with symptoms. Avoidance, problem solving, and suppression showed medium-to-large links, while reappraisal and acceptance showed smaller (small-to-medium)…
This fact sheet reports that people with eating disorders have higher death rates than the general population. Death rates are highest for anorexia nervosa (AN). Bulimia nervosa (BN) and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) have similar death rates. The sheet says older age at assessment was linked to higher…
This study reviewed systematic reviews to measure death risks in major mental disorders. The authors screened 407 reviews and found 20 that reported mortality risks for 20 different disorders, covering over 1.7 million patients and more than a quarter of a million deaths. Every disorder showed higher all-cause death rates…
This systematic review looked at studies from 2000–2018 that measured how common eating disorders are. The authors followed PRISMA rules and included 94 studies with accurate diagnoses and 27 studies with broader categories. Across the accurate-diagnosis studies, women had higher rates than men. Point prevalence estimates rose over time from…
Binge eating disorder (BED) is when someone often eats a very large amount of food in a short time and feels unable to stop. It is the most common eating disorder in the U.S. and is diagnosed when binge episodes happen at least once a week for 3 months. BED…
This review found that eating disorders cause a large health and social burden. In 2017 eating disorders accounted for more than 3.3 million healthy years lost worldwide. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa show rising disability, higher death rates (especially after inpatient treatment for anorexia), lower quality of life, higher costs,…
Orthorexia describes an extreme fixation on “healthy” eating that can harm a person’s health and life. The term was coined in 1997, but orthorexia is not an official diagnosis in the DSM-5‑TR, so how common it is and whether it is its own disorder or part of anorexia or OCD…
Researchers surveyed 680 people who followed health-food accounts online. They measured eating behaviour and orthorexia nervosa symptoms with the ORTO-15 questionnaire. Higher Instagram use was linked to more orthorexia symptoms, while other social media did not show this effect (Twitter showed a small link in exploratory tests). About 49% of…
Researchers reviewed many outcome studies and meta-analyses of psychodynamic therapy, which is a type of talking therapy that explores feelings, relationships, and past experiences. They found that psychodynamic therapy often works better than doing nothing (for example being on a waitlist, getting only usual care, or a placebo) for depression,…
This review looked at smartphone apps made for treating eating disorders. The authors found that research on whether these apps work is scarce. They also found that most existing apps include few proven treatment methods and do not use the special abilities of smartphones (like real-time interaction and sensors). The…
This long study followed 246 treatment-seeking women with anorexia or bulimia for about 9 years. Major depression was common and often long-lasting: 70% of those who had depression recovered, but 65% of those who recovered later relapsed. Recovery chances varied by type of eating disorder, and time on antidepressants was…
This rapid review looked at research from 2009–2022 about outcomes for people with eating disorders. The authors found inconsistent definitions and limited long-term follow-up in the literature. Overall, the evidence points to low rates of remission and a high risk of death—especially for anorexia nervosa—and much of the research focuses…
