Abstract
Background: Binge eating is a disordered eating behavior implicated in eating disorders such as binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa; it significantly affects an individual's physical and mental health. Recent studies suggest shared neurobiological mechanisms between binge eating and addictive behaviors. Comorbid addiction (e.g., substance use disorders and behavioral addictions) is also frequently reported in binge-eating patients. However, it is still unclear whether binge-eating individuals with comorbid addictions differ in their cognitive and mental health characteristics from those without comorbid addictions. Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the cognitive and mental health profiles of binge-eating individuals with and without co-occurring addictions. We hypothesized that binge-eating individuals with comorbid addictions would show greater impairments in impulsivity and self-control, as well as elevated depression and emotion dysregulation. Methods: In the present study, we assessed psychometric scales on various cognitive and mental health domains (e.g., impulsivity, behavioral inhibition, self-control, emotion regulation, mood, and anxiety) across 30 binge-eating individuals with co-occurring addictive behaviors (i.e., alcohol, nicotine, gambling, and video games), 32 binge-eating individuals without addiction, and 180 healthy control subjects with neither binge-eating tendencies nor addiction. Results: Both binge-eating groups showed a significant increase in punishment sensitivity, perceived stress, and state/trait anxiety compared to healthy controls, but there was no difference between the two binge-eating groups. Higher impulsivity and lower self-control were observed in both binge-eating groups to a significantly greater degree in the group with comorbid addiction. Notably, significantly increased depression and impaired emotion regulation (reduced use of cognitive reappraisal) were observed only in the binge-eating group with comorbid addiction when compared to the healthy controls. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated the commonalities and differences in binge-eating populations with and without comorbid addiction. It will help to elucidate cognitive and mental health aspects of comorbid addiction in the binge-eating population and to develop more tailored diagnoses and treatments.