Role of Depression and Anxiety in Eating Disorder Symptomatology in Higher Levels of Care for Girls With Anorexia Nervosa

OBJECTIVES: Although the prevalence of affective comorbidities with eating disorders (ED) has been well established, the three-way relation between ED, depression, and anxiety symptoms has not been explored in an intensive adolescent treatment setting. METHODS: This study analyzed data from a sample of teenage girls with anorexia nervosa in higher levels of care (n = 457) to assess the relations between changes in ED symptoms, depression, and anxiety over the course of ED treatment. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that improvements in depression and anxiety are significantly associated with improvement in ED symptoms. CONCLUSION: Findings support the importance of routine assessments for depression and anxiety among adolescents with anorexia nervosa in higher levels of care and a transdiagnostic approach to treatment that addresses shared underlying mechanisms. Future research that aims to uncover mediators and moderators of these relations is warranted to enhance clinical efforts.