It’s one of the most damaging patterns of food and drink consumption you may never have heard of, and according to researchers at the University of South Australia, the vast majority of Australian females may engaged in it to some degree.
Unofficially dubbed ‘drunkorexia’ due to the combination of highly restricted diet and excessive alcohol consumption, the condition has been researched for years but never in respect to the psychological causes of the condition. This is what UniSA researchers analysed in their empirical study.
The first stage of their research focused on simple prevalence and degree of these behaviours, and the findings of this stage were concerning enough. Of the 479 female Australian university students participating in the study, 82.7 per cent had engaged in drunkorexic behaviours to some degree in the past three months. Over 28 per cent reported restrictive dietary practices or excessive exercise on a regular, conscious basis to offset calories from alcohol consumption.
According to lead researcher Alycia Powell-Jones, these behaviours can lead to various health issues. “Excess alcohol consumption combined with restrictive and disordered eating patterns is extremely dangerous and can dramatically increase the risk of developing serious physical and psychological consequences, including hypoglycaemia, liver cirrhosis, nutritional deficits, brain and heart damage, memory lapses, blackouts, depression and cognitive deficits.”
The second stage looked at the Early Maladaptive Schemes (EMS) predictive of drunkorexia, finding a subset of ‘insufficient self-control’, ’emotional deprivation’ and ‘social isolation’.
“It is important that clinicians, educators, parents and friends are aware of the factors that motivate young women to engage in this harmful and dangerous behaviour, including cultural norms, beliefs that drive self-worth, a sense of belonging, and interpersonal connectedness,” Powell-Jones says.
“By being connected, researchers and clinicians can develop appropriate clinical interventions and support for vulnerable young people within the youth mental health sector.”
Source: neurosciencenews.com
Powell-Jones A, Simpson S. Drunkorexia: An investigation of symptomatology and early maladaptive schemas within a female, young adult Australian population. Aust Psychol. 2020 May 14. DOI: 10.1111/ap.12462
