Consortium Psychiatricum (Jul 2023)

The paradoxical moderating effects of metacognition in the relationships between self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in anorexia and bulimia

  • Cassi R. Springfield,
  • Kelsey A. Bonfils,
  • Nikita V. Chernov,
  • Tatyana V. Moiseeva,
  • Marta V. Sozinova,
  • Nadezhda G. Dmitryeva,
  • Paul H. Lysaker,
  • Olga A. Karpenko,
  • George P. Kostyuk

DOI
https://doi.org/10.17816/CP6139
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 2
pp. 6 – 20

Abstract

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BACKGROUND: Self-esteem and depressive symptoms contribute to a lower quality of life in people suffering from eating disorders. However, limited research has examined whether other factors may affect how these variables influence one another over time. Metacognition is a previously unexplored determinant that may impact the relationships between self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in instances of eating disorders. AIM: This study sought to examine metacognitive self-reflectivity and mastery as moderators of the relationships between self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life and to determine if these relationships are different in people with anorexia compared with people with bulimia. METHODS: Participants with anorexia (n=40) and bulimia (n=40) were recruited from outpatient clinics. The participants were assessed on their metacognitive ability and self-reported on measures to assess their depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and quality of life. RESULTS: The results indicate that metacognitive self-reflectivity moderates the relationship between self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in people with anorexia such that when self-reflectivity is high, lower self-esteem and higher depressive symptoms are associated with a lower quality of life. These relationships did not appear to be significant when self-reflectivity was low. In contrast, in the anorexia and bulimia groups, metacognitive mastery appeared to moderate the relationships between self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life such that when mastery was low, lower self-esteem and higher depressive symptoms were associated with a lower quality of life. These relationships did not appear significant when mastery was high. CONCLUSION: Metacognitive self-reflectivity and mastery seem to play paradoxical moderating roles in the relationships between self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in people with anorexia and bulimia. These findings pave the way toward further research and have important clinical implications.

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