Child abuse and eating disorders in adulthood: A systematic review

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to carry out a systematic review on the relationship between experiences of child abuse and the manifestation of Eating Disorders (ED) during adulthood. For this review, 15 empirical articles were selected, published between 2010 and 2020, in Spanish or English, where the relationship between eating disorders and child abuse was analyzed. This search was carried out in PsycInfo, Scopus and Web of Science. An association was found between eating disorders and child abuse, especially in the case of childhood emotional abuse. Significant comorbidity and complex prognosis for improvement was observed. A complex picture of pathology was evidenced, where various variables influence (age, gender, functioning pathways, food addiction, self-esteem, dysregulation mechanisms, coping styles). However, further research would be beneficial.