The following is a summary of “Depressive symptoms and weight change in inpatients with anorexia nervosa: A cross-lagged panel model,” published in the September 2023 issue of the Psychosomatic Research by Meule et al.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by a high incidence of co-occurring depression, which raises the issue of whether depressive symptoms may negatively impact treatment outcomes. Thus, researchers investigated whether depressive symptoms at admission predicted weight change between admission and discharge in a large sample of AN inpatients. In addition, they investigated whether variations in body mass index (BMI) at the entrance could predict alterations in depressive symptoms.
Investigators analyzed a sample of 3,011 adolescents and adults (4% male) with AN who received inpatient treatment at four Schoen Clinics. With the Patient Health Questionnaire–9, depressive symptoms were evaluated. From admission to discharge, the BMI increased, and depressive symptoms decreased significantly. At admission and discharge, BMI and depressive symptoms were not related. Greater BMI at entry was associated with lesser decreases in depressive symptoms, and greater depressive symptoms at admission were associated with more significant weight gain.
However, the latter effect was mediated by a longer duration of stay. The results indicate that depressive symptoms do not negatively impact weight gain during inpatient treatment for AN patients. In contrast, a higher BMI at admission predicts lesser improvements in depressive symptoms, but this effect appears clinically insignificant.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022399923002489