Emotional Awareness in Patients With Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with difficulties in emotional awareness and emotion regulation. Current theoretical models of emotional dysfunction ascribe these difficulties to deficits in later emotional processes, implicating that the physiological components of the emotional response are intact. This might be questioned, however, as empirical studies have found physiological hypoarousal in patients with AN. Therefore, the present study examines whether there are differences in the physiological processing of emotions in patients with AN. This was examined by measuring heart rate response in 21 patients with AN and 19 control participants while showing them emotion inducing pictures. It was predicted that there would be a lower physiological response in anorectic patients. Results confirmed this hypothesis. Therefore, it is concluded that the observed emotional deficits in patients with AN might not only be caused by a deficit in later emotional processes, but also by a deficit in physiologically representing emotions.