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Symposia

Eating Disorders

Current Directions in the Study of Emotion Regulation and Disordered Eating: Methodology, Underrepresented Populations, and Understudied Constructs

5 - (SYM 57) The Prospective Effects of Social Support Through Emotion Regulation on Disordered Eating in Gender Diverse Adults

Sunday, November 23, 2025
1:28 PM - 1:45 PM CST
Location: Empire B, Level 2
Keywords: Emotion Regulation, Eating, LGBTQ+
Recommended Readings: Denning, D. M., DeFontes, C. G., Lawrence, E., Waite, E. E., & Dixon-Gordon, K. L. (2024). Difficulties in interpersonal regulation of emotion in relation to disordered eating. Eating disorders, 32(2), 140-152.,   Gillikin, L. M., Manasse, S. M., & van Dyk, I. S. (2021). An examination of emotion regulation as a mechanism underlying eating disorder pathology in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. Eating Behaviors, 41, 101508.,   Selby, E. A., Bodell, L. P., & Haynos, A. F. (2024). Positive emotion dysregulation in eating disorders and dysregulated eating behaviors. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1437889.,   ,  
Abstract Body

Transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) individuals report greater difficulties with emotion regulation (ER) due to gender minority stressors, which can also lead to eating disorders (EDs). Challenges with negative ER (downregulating negative emotions) and positive ER (upregulating positive emotions) may maintain EDs, but positive ER has been underexplored in TGE samples. In TGE populations, social support is associated with lower ED symptoms. No studies have examined social support, ER, and eating pathology in TGE populations longitudinally. This study addresses this gap by investigating positive and negative ER as mediators between social support and eating pathology over a 12-week period.

The sample included 301 TGE adults recruited through Prolific Academic (M(SD)age=29.63(9.09). Data was collected at baseline, 6-week follow-up, and 12-week follow-up. Participants completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Perth Emotion Regulation Competency Scale (PERCI), and Eating Pathology Symptom Inventory (EPSI). Bias-corrected bootstrapped structural equation models examined the prospective indirect effects of social support (baseline) on disordered eating (12 weeks), mediated by ER (6 weeks), controlling for baseline EPSI scores. Eight models were tested, each evaluating one of four EPSI outcomes (body dissatisfaction, binge eating, purging, and restricting), mediated by positive and negative ER.

Model fit was acceptable for the negative ER model; CFI=0.94, RMSEA=0.09, SRMR=0.08. There were significant indirect effects of the MSPSS on body dissatisfaction (95% CI [-0.39,-0.06]), restriction (95% CI [-0.36,-0.06]), and binge eating (95% CI [-0.43,-0.06]), at follow-up through negative ER. The model fit was acceptable for the positive ER model; CFI=0.95, RMSEA=0.08, SRMR=0.08. There were significant indirect effects of the MSPSS on restriction (95% CI [-0.30, -0.02]), binge eating (95% CI [-0.48, -0.10]), and purging (95% CI [-0.38, -0.07]) at follow-up through positive ER.

Thus, social support indirectly reduced body dissatisfaction, restriction, and binge eating through improved regulation of negative emotions. Additionally, social support indirectly reduced restriction, binge eating, and purging through improved regulation of positive emotions. Results reinforce ER as a potential target for ED interventions for TGE folks. Future research could examine the strength of specific mechanisms of social support in TGE populations, such as the distinct roles of peer or family support.