Trauma Exposure, DSM-5 Posttraumatic Stress, and Binge Eating Symptoms: Results From a Nationally Representative Sample
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between trauma exposure type, number and type of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and binge eating symptoms. METHODS: Data were analyzed from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III: 2012-2013), which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 36,309 non-institutionalized US civilians aged 18 years and older. Trauma exposure, PTSD, and binge eating symptoms were assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule, DSM-5 Version (AUDADIS-5). Three groups were compared: trauma-exposed individuals with no/low PTSD symptoms, those with subthreshold PTSD, and those with threshold PTSD. RESULTS: Among both men and women, zero-inflated negative binomial regression analyses demonstrated that individuals with subthreshold and threshold PTSD endorsed a greater number of binge eating symptoms than trauma-exposed individuals with no/low PTSD symptoms (unstandardized coefficient [B] range, 0.33-0.92). Relative to witnessing trauma, combat-related trauma was associated with fewer binge eating symptoms in men (B = -0.62, SE = 0.17), while child maltreatment was associated with a greater number of binge eating symptoms in women (B = 0.28, SE = 0.12). Negative cognitions and mood symptoms in particular were associated with a greater number of binge eating symptoms (B range, 0.09-0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Subthreshold and threshold PTSD are associated with binge eating symptoms in both men and women. Similar to drugs and alcohol, binge eating may be used as a strategy to alleviate distressing symptoms of PTSD.
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Several studies have suggested that adverse events experienced early in life predict binge eating symptoms in both men and women.
“Several studies have suggested that adverse events experienced early in life predict binge eating symptoms in both men and women [142,143,144].”
From Separating the Signal from the Noise: How Psychiatric Diagnoses Can Help Discern Food Addiction from Dietary Restraint (2020) · cites this paper as [143]
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- Authors
- Braun, J., El-Gabalawy, R., Sommer, J. L., Pietrzak, R. H., Mitchell, K., & Mota, N.
- Affiliations
- University of Manitoba (CA)
- Yale University (US)
- Boston University (US)
- Venue
- The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc
- Published
- 2019-10-22
- Volume
- 80
- Issue
- 6
- ISSN
- 0160-6689 (ISSN-L)
- 1555-2101
- OpenAlex
- W2980539977
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 4
- FWCI
- 4.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, binge eating, trauma exposure, subthreshold PTSD, war injuries, child abuse, witnessing trauma, negative thinking, mood symptoms, sex differences
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Awareness, Child, Child Abuse, Female, Humans, Interview, Psychological, Male, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, United States, Wounds and Injuries, Binomial Distribution, Epidemiologic Studies, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Binge-Eating Disorder
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