(PS7-48) Exploring the Role of Mindfulness in the Relationship Between Posttraumatic Cognitions and Disordered Eating Attitudes Among College Students

Background: Traumatic stress exposure and concurrent maladaptive attitudes toward eating are common risk factors for the development of various eating disorders (Barakat et al., 2023). Further complicating this relationship is the potential presence of posttraumatic cognitions, which may exacerbate problematic beliefs about eating and food (Nelson et al., 2022). Preliminary research on the connection between posttraumatic cognitions and disordered eating attitudes identifies multiple influential variables including negative affect avoidance (Breland et al., 2017), diminished self-worth, and increases in guilt, shame, and impulsivity (Mitchell et al., 2021). Notably, mindful-based interventions represent promising treatment options for both problematic eating patterns (Yu et al., 2020) and PTSD-related dysfunctional cognitions (Wagner et al., 2023). Yet, little research has explored mindfulness as a potential variable that influences the connection between posttraumatic cognitions and eating beliefs. The current study investigates dispositional mindfulness as a potential mediator of this complex relationship to address this important knowledge gap.

Method: Participants included trauma-exposed college students from a Northeastern university (N=155; 63.2% Female; 81.9% White) ages 18-40 (M=19.28 years, SD=2.13) who completed a comprehensive self-report battery regarding their physical and mental health. The measures utilized in the current study include the Disordered Eating Attitudes Scale (DEAS), the Posttraumatic Cognitions Inventory (PTCI), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and the Life Events Checklist (LEC). The mediation model was analyzed with PROCESS Version 4.0 (model 4) for IBM SPSS Statistics Version 29. 

Results: Dispositional mindfulness significantly mediated the positive relationship between posttraumatic cognitions and disordered eating attitudes [F(2,139)=12.95, p< .001, adjusted R²=.16]. Mindfulness (β=-0.25, t=-3.13, p=.002) was a significant predictor of disordered attitudes toward eating. The total effect observed in the model was also significant (c=.924, SE=.237, p< .001, 95% CI=[.455, 1.393]). The observed indirect effect of mindfulness (ab=.322, SE=.158, 95% CI=[.085, .700]) indicated partial mediation of the relationship between posttraumatic cognitions and disordered eating attitudes (c’=.602, SE=.252, t=2.39, p=.018, 95% CI=[.104, 1.100]).

Discussion: Examination of cognitive processes that accompany disordered eating behaviors in trauma-exposed individuals constitutes a significant advancement from prior research that predominantly examines such in isolation. The current study indicates that mindfulness may be particularly important for disrupting the positive relationship between posttraumatic cognitions and maladaptive beliefs about eating and food. Alternatively, low mindfulness may exacerbate this relationship. Yet, mindfulness only partially mediated this relationship, inferring the potential involvement of other cognitive processes. Identifying other cognitive factors that influence this relationship represents a crucial next step, as does replicating these findings across diverse and clinical samples.