Shared and Distinct Clinical Features in Treatment‐Seeking Adults With Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder or Anorexia Nervosa Subtypes
- 1Department of Psychology McGill University Montréal Canada
- 2Department of Psychiatry McGill University Montréal Canada
- 3Eating Disorders Continuum and Research Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute Montréal Canada
Abstract
Objective: Available studies comparing clinical features in treatment‐seeking adults with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) to anorexia nervosa (AN) often do not distinguish between AN‐restricting (AN‐R) and AN‐binge‐eating/purging (AN‐B/P) subtypes, rely on retrospective ARFID diagnoses, and include unequal group sizes. Across relatively balanced study groups, we compared eating disorder symptoms, concurrent psychiatric symptoms, and Big Five personality traits in treatment‐seeking adults with ARFID, AN‐R, or AN‐B/P to identify unique and shared features.
Methods: Participants were adults (29 ARFID, 39 AN‐R, 45 AN‐B/P) diagnosed via semi‐structured clinical interviews at the start of outpatient treatment. Data were analyzed with general linear models.
Results: On measures of shape‐/weight‐centered eating pathology and depression, individuals with ARFID scored lower than did those with AN‐R (ps < 0.05) or AN‐B/P (ps < 0.001). On measures of anxiety, individuals with ARFID scored lower than did those with AN‐B/P (p < 0.001) but not AN‐R (p = 0.075). Compared with AN groups, the ARFID group had less total emotion‐regulation difficulties (p < 0.001). There were no group differences on Big Five personality traits (p = 0.173), including neuroticism.
Discussion: Treatment‐seeking adults with ARFID reported less shape‐/weight‐centered eating pathology, depression, anxiety, and emotion‐regulation difficulties than did individuals with AN but did not differ on endorsement of Big Five personality traits. Findings suggest that individuals with ARFID display less pronounced psychopathology on assessed domains than do those with AN and highlight potential directions for future ARFID research.
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BibTeX
@article{trolio2026shared,
title = {{Shared and Distinct Clinical Features in Treatment‐Seeking Adults With Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder or Anorexia Nervosa Subtypes}},
author = {Vittoria Trolio and Linda Booij and Samantha Ginsberg and Sarah E. Racine and Howard Steiger},
journal = {The International Journal of Eating Disorders},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1002/eat.70167},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.70167},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Shared and Distinct Clinical Features in Treatment‐Seeking Adults With Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder or Anorexia Nervosa Subtypes
AU - Vittoria Trolio
AU - Linda Booij
AU - Samantha Ginsberg
AU - Sarah E. Racine
AU - Howard Steiger
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/06
JO - The International Journal of Eating Disorders
DO - 10.1002/eat.70167
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.70167
AB - Objective: Available studies comparing clinical features in treatment‐seeking adults with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) to anorexia nervosa (AN) often do not distinguish between AN‐restricting (AN‐R) and AN‐binge‐eating/purging (AN‐B/P) subtypes, rely on retrospective ARFID diagnoses, and include unequal group sizes. Across relatively balanced study groups, we compared eating disorder symptoms, concurrent psychiatric symptoms, and Big Five personality traits in treatment‐seeking adults with ARFID, AN‐R, or AN‐B/P to identify unique and shared features. Methods: Participants were adults (29 ARFID, 39 AN‐R, 45 AN‐B/P) diagnosed via semi‐structured clinical interviews at the start of outpatient treatment. Data were analyzed with general linear models. Results: On measures of shape‐/weight‐centered eating pathology and depression, individuals with ARFID scored lower than did those with AN‐R (ps < 0.05) or AN‐B/P (ps < 0.001). On measures of anxiety, individuals with ARFID scored lower than did those with AN‐B/P (p < 0.001) but not AN‐R (p = 0.075). Compared with AN groups, the ARFID group had less total emotion‐regulation difficulties (p < 0.001). There were no group differences on Big Five personality traits (p = 0.173), including neuroticism. Discussion: Treatment‐seeking adults with ARFID reported less shape‐/weight‐centered eating pathology, depression, anxiety, and emotion‐regulation difficulties than did individuals with AN but did not differ on endorsement of Big Five personality traits. Findings suggest that individuals with ARFID display less pronounced psychopathology on assessed domains than do those with AN and highlight potential directions for future ARFID research.
SN - 0276-3478
SN - 1098-108X
ER -