Psychological Factors in Eating Disorders

The enhanced transdiagnostic model of eating disorders (EDs) implicates a range of psychological factors as central in the onset and maintenance of a range of ED psychopathology. Existing evidence has supported the role of these psychological factors in EDs. However, research has scantly directly compared these factors across ED subtypes in clinical samples or distinct disordered eating symptoms in community samples. Such research is essential for improving the outcomes of current ED prevention and intervention strategies. The current chapter provides a critical review of the literature on these psychological factors across ED subtypes and disordered eating symptoms. We outline the clinical utility of the enhanced transdiagnostic model of EDs, whilst highlighting limitations and gaps in the literature.