Identifying Affective Patterns in Patients With Eating Disorders: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Authors

Rachele Fasolato, Chiara Bonetto, Rosa Bruna Dall'Agnola, Emily Boifava, Federica Bonora, Mariasole Castellazzi, Silvia Castelli, Doriana Cristofalo, Silvia Danese, Monica Ferlin, Stuart B Murray, Martina Puglisi, Silvia Rigon, Antonio Elia Rizzo, Benedetta Signoretto, Corrado Barbui

Published in

European eating disorders review : the journal of the Eating Disorders Association. Jul 18, 2026. Epub Jul 18, 2026.

Abstract

Emotional difficulties are common among individuals with Eating Disorders (EDs). Following Panksepp's theoretical model, which conceptualises primary emotional systems as the evolutionary foundation of personality, this study aimed to identify distinct profiles of primary emotional systems within a clinical eating disorder (ED) sample. It further examined differences in sociodemographic, clinical, and psychopathological characteristics across profiles, as well as associations between clinical features and profile membership.
In this cross-sectional study, data were obtained from the Regional Centre for ED registry at the University Hospital of Verona. Measures included the Affective Neuroscience Personality scales, the Eating Disorder Examination, the Symptom CheckList-90-Revised, the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. A Latent Profile Analysis was conducted, followed by inferential analyses.
Among 122 patients, three profiles emerged: (1) high FEAR and SADNESS, and low SEEKING and PLAY; (2) low negative primary emotional systems and CARE; (3) high positive primary emotional systems and high SADNESS and ANGER. Profiles differed by age, sex, illness duration, trauma burden, depressive-anxiety symptoms, and ED severity.
Findings revealed emotional heterogeneity among ED patients, underscoring the importance of considering individual emotional differences in treatment planning. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

PMID:
42470162
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 18 Jul 2026.

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