Insecure attachment and impaired reflective functioning mediate the association between childhood trauma and grazing behavior.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Grazing represents a clinically significant eating behavior characterized by repetitive consumption of small amounts of food, often associated with poor outcomes in bariatric surgery populations. Despite growing evidence linking childhood traumatic experiences to disordered eating, the specific psychological mechanisms underlying grazing behaviors remain poorly understood. Developmental theories suggest early relational trauma may disrupt attachment patterns and impair emotional self-regulation through mentalization deficits, which could lead to disordered eating behaviors. However, this pathway does not appear to have been tested. This study examined whether attachment insecurity and impaired reflective functioning mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and

SUBMITTER: Rossi AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12727628 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature