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Abstract
Objective
Quantitative evidence suggests that a subset of individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) may hold beliefs pertaining to food, body image, and appearance that are delusional in nature. The present study extended this research through qualitatively exploring beliefs held by AN patients and the consequences of holding such beliefs.
Method
Five participants receiving inpatient treatment for AN took part in semi‐structured interviews, which were transcribed and analysed according to the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Results
Two superordinate themes emerged: “Delusion‐like beliefs,” which detailed participants’ conviction that their bodies responded to food and exercise differently to others and thus they must engage in disordered behaviours to remain at a normal weight; and “Process,” which captured the ways in which participants maintained their beliefs and addressed their variable relationship with insight.
Conclusions
The current findings suggest that anorectic cognitions can take a delusional quality and thus may not be overvalued ideas only.
Abstract
Funding: None.
Conflict of interest: None.
Funding: None.
Conflict of interest: None.
Acknowledgements
There current study did not receive any funding. We thank all the participants who took part in the current study. The authors of this manuscript do not hold any conflict of interests.
Notes
Funding: None.
Conflict of interest: None.