Explaining the Relationship Between Perfectionism and Binge Eating Disorder in Female College Students: The Mediating Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation

Binge eating disorder is a type of eating behavior disorder that occurs with voluntary limitations in eating food. It has a psychological and social origin and is one of the concerns of the World Health Organization. The present study explains the relationship between perfectionism and binge eating disorder in female college students and the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation.

In this descriptive-correlation study, data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) method. The statistical population of this research consisted of all the female college students of Isfahan City, Iran, in October and November 2022. A total of 214 students were selected by the available sampling method. The participants answered the perfectionism inventory (PI, 2004), the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (CERQ, 2001), and the binge eating severity (BES, 1982). The data were analyzed using EMOS 22 software and SEM.

The results showed that adaptive cognitive regulation strategies could negatively mediate the relationship between adaptive perfectionism and eating disorder (P<0.01, β= -0.113) while positively and significantly mediating the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and eating disorder (P<0.01, β=0.124).

Based on the results, physicians and therapists can incorporate cognitive regulation techniques into eating disorder treatments and help individuals manage perfectionism and negative thoughts. Additionally, educational programs can be developed in counseling centers, schools, and universities to empower individuals to recognize signs and seek help promptly.