General psychopathological symptoms in children, adolescents, and young adults with anorexia nervosa-a naturalistic study on follow-up and treatment

Recent research has assessed the role of general psychopathological symptoms in the natural history of mental health conditions, including anorexia nervosa (AN) in adults and obesity in children. Nevertheless, literature assessing general psychopathological symptoms in young patients with AN and their potential prognostic role in long-term outcomes is lacking. Observational, naturalistic study, involving young patients hospitalized for AN. General psychopathological symptoms were assessed by administering Symptom Check List-90-R (SCL-90-R) at admission (T0) and discharge (T1). AN-specific psychopathology was assessed with Eating Disorders Inventory-3 Eating Disorder Risk (EDRC) and Body Uneasiness Test Global Severity Index (BUT-GSI). Potential T0-T1 modifications of general psychopathological symptoms and their possible associations with baseline psychopathological, weight, and psychopharmacological variables were assessed with a generalized linear model (GLM), corrected for baseline SCL-90-R scores. Then, possible associations between T0 general psychopathological symptoms and the risk of re-hospitalization at 1 year were assessed with the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression. This study enrolled 133 patients (mean age 16.9 +/- 2.9 years, F = 91.8%). A significant T0-T1 reduction (p < 0.001) in almost all the general psychopathological symptoms (except paranoia) emerged. The GLM revealed that higher EDI-3 EDRC scores were associated with higher T1 SCL-90-R scores in multiple domains. Cox regressions revealed a predictive role of SCL-90-R interpersonal sensitivity (B = 0.113, hazard ratio = 1.119, p = 0.023) on the risk of re-hospitalization at 1 year. Conclusion: General psychopathological symptoms in young patients with AN may be influenced by hospital treatment interventions and have a potential prognostic role on post-discharge outcomes. Further longitudinal studies are required. What is Known: General psychopathological symptoms represent a relevant feature that clinicians should consider in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of multiple psychiatric conditions. Co-occurring psychiatric comorbidities, moreover, have been documented to impact individuals diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) in the developmental age. Despite this evidence, the literature lacks studies assessing the occurrence and impact of general psychopathological symptoms in young patients with AN. What is New. The clinical picture of children, adolescents, and young adults with AN mays be impacted by multiple general psychopathological symptoms, including Somatization, Obsession-compulsion, Interpersonal sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, Phobia, Paranoia, and Psychoticism, which may improve with a multidisciplinary hospital intervention. The occurrence of these symptoms, particularly interpersonal sensitivity , may negatively impact the prognosis of the affected patients.

Automated summary

Recent research has found that general psychopathological symptoms play a role in the natural history of mental health conditions, such as anorexia nervosa in adults and obesity in children. However, there is a lack of literature that assesses general psychopathological symptoms in young patients with anorexia nervosa and their potential impact on long-term outcomes.