The relationship between disordered eating attitudes, interpersonal emotion regulation strategies, interpersonal problems and alexythimia in emerging adulthood: Mediator and moderator roles

The study aimed to examine the characteristics, protective factors, and risk factors of disordered eating behaviors in emerging adults (ages 18-29) with an average age of 23.18 (SD = 3.13) within an interpersonal context. Disordered eating behaviors were defined as problematic eating habits without a clinical diagnosis. Alexithymia, which is frequently associated with disordered eating behaviors, refers to difficulties in identifying and expressing emotions, leading individuals to express emotions through bodily symptoms. Interpersonal emotion regulation strategies were defined as the tendency of individuals to use others to feel secure or reduce the intensity of negative emotions. Interpersonal problems were conceptualized as a circumplex model consisting of eight domains representing areas of general difficulty and stress in interpersonal relationships. The study had two main objectives: first, to test the mediating role of interpersonal problem areas in the relationship between alexithymia and disordered eating behaviors, and second, to understand the moderating role of interpersonal emotion regulation strategies—an emerging research topic in Turkey—in the predictive relationship between interpersonal problems and disordered eating behaviors. The study was conducted with 454 participants (369 women and 85 men) between the ages of 18 and 29. The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale were used. The results of the mediation analysis revealed that the problem areas of domineering-controlling, intrusive-needy, overly accommodating, and self-sacrificing had a significant mediating role in the relationship between alexithymia and disordered eating behaviors. The results of the moderation analysis showed that perspective taking and soothing as an interpersonal emotion regulation strategies, significantly weakened the relationship between interpersonal problems and disordered eating behaviors. Based on the results, it is recommended that interventions be developed to raise awareness of the level and intensity of interpersonal emotion regulation strategies and to focus on identifying areas of interpersonal problems in the treatment of disordered eating behaviors. It is also suggested to organize public initiatives that emphasize the importance of social support and address the risk factors that affect these individual's ability to express their emotions, along with awareness-raising efforts targeting emerging adults, who are considered a risk group for disordered eating behaviors.