The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fogler Library 12-2008 Examining the Role of Stress in Binge Eating Disorder Stephanie M. LaMattina Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd Part of the Clinical Psychology Commons Recommended Citation LaMattina, Stephanie M., "Examining the Role of Stress in Binge Eating Disorder" (2008). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 52. http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/52 This Open-Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. EXAMINING THE ROLE OF STRESS IN BINGE EATING DISORDER By Stephanie M. LaMattina B.S., Northeastern University, 2002 M.A., University of Maine, 2005 A THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Psychology) The Graduate School University of Maine December, 2008 Advisory Committee: Sandra T. Sigmon, Professor of Psychology, Advisor Jeffrey E. Hecker, Professor of Psychology Geoffrey L. Thorpe, Professor of Psychology Shannon McCoy, Assistant Professor of Psychology Shawn Ell, Assistant Professor of Psychology ii © 2008 Stephanie M. LaMattina All Rights Reserved iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take a moment to recognize and thank all the people in my life that have been instrumental in helping me throughout graduate school Without your love, support, encouragement, and guidance I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I will forever be grateful to each of you for the special knowledge you have passed on to me. To my advisor, Sandra Sigmon, I decided to come to the University of Maine because of you, and while I always knew I made the right decision, now more than ever, I understand all that you did for me. You helped me to grow and develop into the professional I am today. I will forever be grateful for all that you did. You had a wonderful ability to maintain balance in the chaotic world of graduate school, and I thank you for always helping me to see that balance. I would also like to convey my deepest appreciation to my committee members, Jeff Hecker, Geoff Thorpe, Shannon McCoy, and Shawn Ell. Without your expertise, feedback, time, and most importantly support, I would not have been able to complete this project. I would also like to thank Anna Cassel, without your help and dedication to this project I wouldn’t be finished today. To my dear friends, Mike and Kristy Cassano, thanks for always making Maine fun and helping it to feel like home. You’re friendship is something Roger and I will always cherish. You helped to make graduate school an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. The weekends won’t be the same without you! To my amazing parents, Bob and Barbara, thanks for always believing in me and supporting me when I needed it most. Thanks for helping me to remember how lucky I am to be doing what I love most, even when the challenge seemed so daunting. Dad, I want to especially thank you for teaching me the importance of hard work, determination, iv and what it means to really live life. It’s because of you that I know each day is a gift. Mom, I can’t even begin to thank you for being my mentor and friend. You always knew the perfect moment to send me an encouraging card or little gift to let me know you were thinking about me. On days when I was struggling to finish this project, I would read those cards and know that you believed in me. You never complained when I was busy and couldn’t chat, but on the other hand, you always stopped what you were doing to listen to me complain. You made my road as easy as possible and for that I am forever grateful. You’re the best parents anyone could ask for, and I’m blessed to be your daughter. And most importantly, I want to give a special thanks to Roger, the love of my life and best friend. Where do I begin? First and foremost I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for always driving the long miles to spend a little time with me and Zoë. You never once complained, and for your sacrifice, I will forever be thankful! It meant the world to me to be able to see your face every Friday night after a hard week of work. Now you can finally retire with Zoë! You were the rock in my life when everything else seemed crazy. Thanks for always keeping me grounded and reminding me who I am. I am the luckiest girl in the world because I get to spend the rest of my life with you! v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………...iii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………...viii LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………….x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 Defining Binge Eating Disorder ..................................................................................... 5 Relationship between BED and Obesity ..................................................................... 6 Epidemiology of BED..................................................................................................... 7 Prevalence ................................................................................................................... 7 Comorbidity ................................................................................................................ 9 Gender ......................................................................................................................... 9 Course ....................................................................................................................... 10 Binge Eating Risk Factors ............................................................................................ 10 Sociocultural pressure ............................................................................................... 11 Ideal-body internalization ......................................................................................... 12 Body dissatisfaction .................................................................................................. 12 Body mass ................................................................................................................. 13 Dietary restraint ........................................................................................................ 14 Negative affect .......................................................................................................... 14 The Role of Stress and Coping ..................................................................................... 15 Stress-Coping Models ............................................................................................... 23 The Relationship Between Stress and Cortisol ............................................................. 38 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 43 Statement of Purpose .................................................................................................... 44 Hypotheses .................................................................................................................... 46 2. METHOD ..................................................................................................................... 48 Participants .................................................................................................................... 48 Study Criteria ............................................................................................................ 48 Recruitment ............................................................................................................... 49 Experimenters ............................................................................................................... 50 Measures ....................................................................................................................... 50 Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders, Research Version, Patient Edition (SCID- I/P) ........................................................................ 50 Questionnaire on Eating and Weight Patterns (QEWP) ........................................... 51 Eating Disorder Examination- Questionnaire (EDE-Q) ........................................... 52 Anthropometric Measurements ................................................................................. 53 Profile of Mood States (POMS) ................................................................................ 54 Beck Depression Inventory- II (BDI-II) ................................................................... 55 State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) ...................................................................... 55 Brief COPE ............................................................................................................... 56 Urge to Binge Rating ................................................................................................ 57 vi Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) .................................................................................... 57 Life Experiences Survey (LES) ................................................................................ 58 Experimental Tasks ....................................................................................................... 58 Stress Induction Task ...............................................................................................