Childhood maltreatment, depressive symptoms, and body dissatisfaction in patients with binge eating disorder: The mediating role of self‐criticism

Abstract

Objective: We examined the mediating role of self‐criticism in the relation between childhood maltreatment and both depressive symptoms and body dissatisfaction in patients with binge eating disorder (BED). Method: Participants were 170 BED patients who completed measures of childhood maltreatment, self‐criticism, self‐esteem, depressive symptoms, and body dissatisfaction. Results: Specific forms of childhood maltreatment (emotional abuse, sexual abuse) were significantly associated with body dissatisfaction. Path analyses demonstrated that self‐criticism fully mediated the relation between emotional abuse and both depressive symptoms and body dissatisfaction. Specificity for the mediating role of self‐criticism was demonstrated in comparison to other potential mediators (low self‐esteem) and alternative competing mediation models. Discussion: These results highlight self‐criticism as a potential mechanism through which certain forms of childhood maltreatment may be associated with depressive symptoms and body dissatisfaction in BED patients. © 2010 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2010