DOI: 10.1002/eat.70249 ISSN: 0276-3478

Disordered Eating Behaviors and Comorbid Binge‐Eating Disorder in Female Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and Panic Disorder: A Transdiagnostic Approach

Kadir Karakuş, Abdullah Burak Uygur, Selime Çelik Erden, Ali Emre Öz, Ahmet Al, Umut Gölgeli, Şerifhan Mirac Sarı, Rabia Önem
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ABSTRACT

Objective

Many patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and panic disorder (PD) experience underreported co‐occurring eating pathologies, ranging from subclinical disturbed eating behaviors to full‐threshold Binge‐eating disorder (BED). This study compares the eating attitudes and behaviors of female psychiatric outpatients diagnosed with GAD, PD, and MDD with those of healthy controls while investigating the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with comorbid BED.

Method

The study included a total of 158 female patients diagnosed according to the SCID ‐5, comprising 62 with MDD , 60 with GAD , and 36 with PD , alongside a healthy control group of 168 females. The comorbidity of BED was also evaluated using the SCID ‐5. All participants were administered a sociodemographic data form, the Eating Attitudes Test‐40 ( EAT ‐40), the Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI ), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory ( BAI ). Group differences were assessed through one‐way ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc adjustments, and independent‐samples t‐tests. Bivariate associations were analyzed using Pearson correlations.

Results

The prevalence of disturbed eating attitudes was 31.7% in GAD , 25.0% in PD , 19.3% in MDD , and 5.9% in healthy controls. Compared to controls, EAT ‐40 scores were significantly elevated across all clinical groups ( p  < 0.001). In the GAD cohort, current comorbid BED (13.3%) was significantly associated with a younger age ( p  = 0.003) and higher BDI ( p  = 0.022) and BAI ( p  = 0.050) scores.

Discussion

This study demonstrated clinically significant eating pathologies and comorbid BED across GAD , PD , and MDD cohorts. These findings empirically support that BED and disordered eating attitudes are associated with worse clinical trajectories across diagnostic groups. Conceptualizing eating disturbances through a transdiagnostic lens may facilitate more comprehensive psychiatric interventions tailored to these patient populations.

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