LAUSR

Although often perceived as non-threatening, disordered eating poses a significant risk to physical and psychological wellbeing. Given the modest effectiveness of current interventions, there is a need to identify specific psychological targets for treatment. One risk factor that has long been liked to eating issues is childhood trauma. The present study aimed to clarify the associations between five distinct forms of trauma and three disordered eating behaviours (Cognitive Restraint, Uncontrolled Eating, and Emotional Eating). In addition, it aimed to determine the role of alexithymia and beliefs about emotions in this association. Three hundred and thirty-two participants from the Australian community completed an online questionnaire measuring alexithymia, beliefs about emotions, disordered eating, and childhood trauma. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine total effects between independent forms of childhood trauma and eating behaviours, followed by bootstrapped confidence intervals to delineate indirect effects. A significant direct association was evidenced between Childhood Emotional Abuse and Cognitive Restraint, in addition to Childhood Sexual Abuse and Emotional Eating. Numerous indirect effects were detected involving the beliefs that emotions are 'Overwhelming and Uncontrollable' and 'Damaging'. Findings indicated that experiences of childhood trauma were associated with disordered eating behaviours through the detection of significant total and/or indirect effects. However, effect sizes of indirect effects (involving beliefs about emotions) were small, suggesting that there are additional factors involved. Further longitudinal research is necessary to determine the causal direction of these findings.