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. 2024 Dec;80(12):2344-2356.
doi: 10.1002/jclp.23743. Epub 2024 Sep 12.

Associations between avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder profiles and trauma exposure in veteran men and women

Karen S Mitchell  1   2 , Kelsey N Serier  1   2 , Brian N Smith  1   2 , Dawne Vogt  1   2
Affiliations

Associations between avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder profiles and trauma exposure in veteran men and women

Karen S Mitchell et al. J Clin Psychol. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Objective: Trauma exposure, particularly interpersonal trauma, is prevalent among individuals with eating disorders (EDs), and trauma exposure and the subsequent development of posttraumatic stress disorder have been associated with poorer outcomes for ED treatment. To our knowledge, there are no published investigations of trauma exposure among individuals with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), a new diagnosis introduced by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5. We investigated associations between trauma exposure and ARFID profiles in a sample of U.S. military veteran men and women.

Method: Participants in this cross-sectional study included 1494 veterans randomly selected from the population of post-9/11 veterans who had separated from military service within the previous 18 months. They completed a survey assessing EDs, including the Nine Item ARFID Screen and trauma exposure.

Results: Results revealed that 9.8% of the sample exceeded cutoffs for any ARFID profile, with the picky eating profile being the most common. Trauma exposure was prevalent among participants who exceeded cutoffs for ARFID, particularly the picky eating profile.

Discussion: Findings highlight the importance of addressing EDs, including ARFID, in veterans. It will be important to examine the extent to which trauma and trauma-related disorders impact treatment outcomes for individuals with ARFID.

Keywords: ARFID; avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder; trauma; veterans.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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