PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Compulsive Behavior”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,009 records · Page 56Linked to original sources

Parental antecedents of adult codependency.

Two aspects of codependency were investigated among 442 undergraduates. First, parental antecedents were examined by subjects completing measures of codependency, perceived parental dysfunctions (compulsivity, chemical dependency, and codependency), and parental styles (coercion, control, and non-nurturance). As expected, correlations between adult codependency and parental coercion, control, non-nurturance, and maternal compulsivity were significant. However, correlations between codependency and parental chemical dependency were not significant. A multiple regression analysis identified parental codependency and maternal coercion as significant predictors of subject codependency. To examine the second aspect of codependency, which assumes that codependency was identified over 40 years ago by Karen Horney, subjects completed a loss of self measure which correlated highly with codependency.

Adolescent↗

Negative affect moderates the relation between dieting and binge eating.

OBJECTIVE: Although laboratory experiments suggest that negative affect inductions potentiate the relation between dieting and disinhibited eating, little research has tested whether this finding generalizes to binge eating in the natural environment. Thus, we assessed whether negative affect moderated the relation between dieting and binge eating in a passive-observational study. METHOD: This aim was addressed with longitudinal data from a community sample of adolescents (N = 631). RESULTS: For females, dieting and negative affect predicted binge eating in cross-sectional and prospective analyses, but negative affect potentiated the relation between dieting and binge eating only in the cross-sectional analyses. Similar, but attenuated results were found for males. DISCUSSION: Findings converge with those from laboratory studies in suggesting that negative affect moderates the relation between dieting and binge eating, but also imply that dieting and negative affect constitute independent risk factors for binge eating. The lack of prospective effects may suggest that the interactive relations have a short time lag or are difficult to detect prospectively.

Adolescent↗

Binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa: differences in the quality and quantity of binge eating episodes.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to examine the differences in the quantity and quality of binges between binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa. METHOD: Patients (N = 77) seeking treatment for eating disorders were assessed on binge content. RESULTS: Results suggest no differences in binge quantity with BED and bulimia, but there were differences in the binge quality. The binges of bulimics were higher in carbohydrates and sugar than those with BED. DISCUSSION: The higher levels of obesity of our BED individuals may account for the lack of differences between those with bulimia and BED. The importance of increasing our knowledge of the continuum of weight and binging is discussed.

Adult↗

The factorial structure of personal development mechanisms in unmarried mothers, college, alcoholic, and schizophrenic populations.

The Personal Development Study (PDS) was administered to four diagnostic groups, which included 89 hospitalized alcoholics, 336 unmarried mothers, 159 college students, and 387 chronic institutionalized schizophrenics. The PDS data from the four groups were factor analyzed separately by Varimax rotation of principal component factors. Cluster analysis methods were used to compare the separate diagnostic group factors with the overall factors previously reported by Pishkin and Thorne (1977). Only a few close fits of the diagnostic group factors showed large differences in item composition, order of emergence of factors and size of loadings between groups. Because many items and factors could be interpreted in terms of several alternative theoretical systems, interpretations were based on the clinical meanings of items and clusters in terms of integration theory (Thorne, 1976).

Adolescent↗

Compulsive eating, obsessive thoughts of food, and their relation to assertiveness and depression in women.

Fifty-three self-defined compulsive eaters recruited from weight loss programs and a college population and prescreened to eliminate probable anorexics and bulimics participated in this study. They completed the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, Compulsive Eating Scale, Eating Obsessive-Compulsive Questionnaire, Personal Assertion Analysis, and provided demographic information. Participants had high scores for compulsive eating and disinhibition and low scores for depression. The best predictors of compulsive eating were disinhibition and obsessive thoughts of food, which accounted for 61% of the variance. Twenty-one percent of the sample reported a history of sexual abuse. Thirty-one percent of the sample were classified as medically obese, yet 49% perceived themselves to be moderately to very overweight.

Adolescent↗

Comparison of eating disorder patients with and without compulsive exercising.

Several studies have examined the occurrence of eating disorders in athletes. However, little has been written about the frequency and phenomenology of compulsive exercising in eating disorder (ED) patients. Given this, we studied a series of 110 patients who presented to the Medical University of South Carolina Eating Disorders Program and met lifetime DSM-III-R criteria for bulimia nervosa (n = 71), anorexia nervosa (n = 18), or both disorders (n = 21). All patients completed the Diagnostic Survey of the Eating Disorders (DSED), a self-report measure of demographic and clinical characteristics including time spent exercising daily. Thirty-one (28%) of the 100 patients reported that they exercised > or = 60 min every day (M +/- SD = 105 +/- 48 min) and were defined as compulsive exercisers (CEs). In addition, 3 CE patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) were included for comparison with non-CEs on a number of variables. CEs had significantly greater ratings of body dissatisfaction (p < .01) than non-CEs. Non- CEs were significantly more likely than CEs to vomit and use laxatives (p < .01, chi 2), and they had a higher frequency of binge eating ( p < .006, Kruskal-Wallis). There was a trend for a significantly higher frequency of compulsive exercising in the patients with anorexia nervosa (38.5%) than those with bulimia nervosa (22.5%) (p < or = .06, chi 2).

Adolescent↗

Gelatinous transformation of bone marrow from a starch-free diet.

Gelatinous marrow transformation is characterized by marrow hypoplasia, fat atrophy, and gelatinous material deposition, and usually develops as a hematologic complication of chronic wasting disorders. Most of the cases associated with severe nutritional deficiency were seen in anorexia nervosa due to a depletion of protein or fat. This report describes a case of gelatinous transformation attributed to a specific restriction of carbohydrates in diet. The hematologic deficiency was eventually recovered after the patient resumed a regular starch-containing diet. This brief report illustrates the potential side effect of the compulsive dietary behavior on the hematologic system.

Adult↗

Rumination in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Recent studies have shown that rumination is a powerful predictor of persistent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, to date, the mechanisms by which rumination maintains PTSD symptoms are little understood. Two studies of assault survivors, a cross-sectional (N = 81) and a 6-month prospective longitudinal study (N = 73), examined several facets of ruminative thinking to establish which aspects of rumination provide the link to PTSD. The current investigation showed that rumination is not only used as a strategy to cope with intrusive memories but it also triggers such memories. Certain characteristics of rumination, such as compulsion to continue ruminating, occurrence of unproductive thoughts, and "why" and "what if" type questions, as well as negative emotions before and after rumination, were significantly associated with PTSD, concurrently and prospectively. These characteristics explained significantly more variance in PTSD severity than the mere presence of rumination, thereby indicating that not all ways of ruminative thinking are equally maladaptive.

Adult↗

Excessive exercise in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: relation to eating characteristics and general psychopathology.

OBJECTIVE: Excessive exercise is a well-known phenomenon in anorexia nervosa, but less is known about its role in bulimia nervosa. In addition, there is little evidence regarding the psychopathological processes that might act as predisposing, triggering, or maintaining factors for such exercise. The present study examined the presence of excessive exercise in different women with eating disorders, and its psychopathological correlates. METHODS: Case notes from 63 anorexia nervosa and 61 bulimia nervosa patients were examined. Two-way multivariate analyses of variance (diagnosis x use of excessive exercise) were used to determine the impact of the two factors upon eating characteristics (EAT-40 and BITE) and psychopathological symptoms (SCL-90-R). RESULTS: While high levels of depression were more likely among all patients who used excessive exercise, levels of anxiety and somatization were particularly high only among those anorexics who exercised excessively. DISCUSSION: Possible explanatory models are advanced to account for this pattern of findings, focusing on the possible use of exercise as an affect regulation strategy among anorexia nervosa patients. Further research is suggested to test and develop this model, and possible clinical implications are outlined.

Adolescent↗

The relationship between compulsive buying and eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Compulsive buying has received increased research attention in the last decade. The disorder has high rates of comorbidity for other disorders, including eating disorders. This study explored the possible relationship between compulsive buying and eating disorders. METHOD: Twenty women who scored in the pathological range on a measure of compulsive buying and 20 controls were recruited via the media. Various measures of psychopathology and eating disorder symptoms were administered to both groups. RESULT: Compulsive buyers were significantly more likely to have a higher lifetime history of substance abuse or dependence. No differences existed between normal controls and compulsive buyers in prevalence of current or lifetime eating disorders, nor were there differences in scores of eating-related psychopathology. DISCUSSION: This work failed to demonstrate an increased risk for eating disorder in compulsive buyers, although a higher rate of substance dependence or abuse and higher scores on pathological personality dimension scales were seen.

Aged↗

The role of perfectionism and excessive commitment to exercise in explaining dietary restraint: replication and extension.

UNLABELLED: The etiological complexity of the eating disorders has incited researchers to examine how personality characteristics and other variables operate jointly in the development of deviant eating patterns. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the independent, interactive, and indirect prediction of dietary restraint by perfectionism and excessive commitment to exercise. METHOD: Multiple regression analyses designed to test moderating and mediating models were conducted on a sample of female university students (n = 269). RESULTS: Several dimensions of perfectionism, as well as excessive commitment to exercise, significantly and independently predicted dietary restraint in these women. There was no evidence for an interaction effect. Mediation analyses suggested that for selected dimensions of perfectionism, the direct relationship between perfectionism and dietary restraint is partially explained by excessive commitment to exercise. DISCUSSION: Interventions aimed at challenging perfectionistic standards in the context of dieting need to address not only one's self-standards, but one's perceptions of standards held by others. The mediating role of excessive exercise commitment pinpoints this variable as an alternative intervention target in the prevention of excessive dieting.

Adult↗

Impulsivity and compulsivity in bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: A primary objective of the current article is to investigate the relationship between impulsivity and compulsivity in patients with bulimia nervosa (BN). A second goal is to explore the relationship between impulsivity and compulsivity and related psychiatric problems. METHOD: Two-hundred four females with BN completed several measures of impulsivity and compulsivity as well as measures of personality, substance use, eating pathology, and depression. RESULTS: Participants reported considerable variability on measures of impulsivity and compulsivity and these scores were positively correlated with each other. Impulsive-compulsive groups differed in personality, substance use, eating, and depression. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that impulsivity and compulsivity can coexist in BN patients and that both traits may provide useful information about comorbid problems in women with BN.

Adolescent↗

Compulsive water drinking in pregnancy.

A case report of a pregnant woman with primary polydipsia is presented. The workup, including an investigation of the disturbance and the implications for fetal outcome, is described. The terms primary and secondary polydipsia are defined, and the differential diagnosis is discussed. Compulsive water drinking was finally diagnosed following psychiatric evaluation. A brief review of the literature concerning compulsive water drinking is presented.

Adult↗

Eros and psychotic despair.

The author suggests that Freud's theory of sexuality is not adequate to explain the issue of psychosis. The sexual drive presupposes construction of the unity of the subject, whereas psychosis takes root in a period of life when the ego is not yet integrated. In a neurotic subject, suffering is always an expression of sexuality. By contrast, in a psychotic person, even aspects explicitly connected with sexuality represent an attempt to escape from despair. In the former it is a question of pleasure, and in the latter of relief In light of these considerations, the author discusses the problem of erotomania.

Adult↗

Prevalence and clinical features of hedonistic homeostatic dysregulation in Parkinson's disease.

Hedonistic homeostatic dysregulation (HHD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder recently described in Parkinson's disease (PD), which is characterized by self-medication and addiction to dopaminergic drugs. To understand the prevalence of this disorder, we screened 202 PD patients attending our movement disorder unit for HHD. The clinical features of the patients identified as affected by this syndrome were then compared with those of control PD patients in an attempt to ascertain the possible risk factors for HHD. Results showed 7 subjects who fulfilled the HHD criteria. The analysis of a case-control study showed a significant correlation between HHD and a previous history of mood disorders, and the use of dopamine agonists, either in monotherapy or in combination. The prevalence of HHD in our study is similar to the one reported in the United Kingdom by the authors who first described this syndrome in PD. Of interest, our patients showed a somewhat different pattern of the disorder, suggesting that cultural and environmental factors may play a role in the phenomenology of HHD.

Adult↗

Marathon running: comparison of physical and psychosocial risks for men and women.

Physical and psychosocial risks of running and addiction were compared in a sample of female (n = 112) and male (n = 108) marathon runners. While female runners reported more pain in the knee, shin, hip, and heel, and more stress fractures, than the men, no injuries were significantly higher in women. Over 40% of both male and female subjects reported knee injury, making it the most common running injury reported. There were no significant differences in level of self esteem, anxiety, or running addiction between the two groups. There was, however, a significant relationship between level of negative addiction scores and two injuries: torn ligaments X2 (2,202) = 8.45, p less than .02, and hematuria X2 (2,202) = 11.31, p less than .005.

Adolescent↗