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The Role of Empathy in the Links Between Binge Eating Disorder and Interpersonal Difficulties
Sponsor: Clinique de la Mitterie
Summary
Obesity, recognized as a chronic disease by the WHO since 1998, affects 22.1% of adults in the Hauts-de-France region. Beyond the physiological aspects, it is associated with psychological difficulties, particularly eating disorders such as binge eating disorder (BED), as well as interpersonal difficulties related to empathy. Empathy, which consists of cognitive (decoding emotion) and affective (sharing emotion) dimensions, appears to be reduced in obese adults compared to adults of normal weight. However, existing research remains limited and heterogeneous. It is therefore essential to explore the links between obesity, cognitive and affective empathy in greater detail, taking into account the role of BED, in order to better understand their impact on interpersonal relationships.
Official title: Role of Empathy in the Links Between Binge Eating Disorder and Interpersonal Difficulties in the Context of Obesity in a Clinical Population
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
155
Start Date
2025-11-05
Completion Date
2027-03
Last Updated
2026-01-12
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Condensed and Revised Multifaceted Empathy Test
Experimental emotional decoding task that measures the cognitive and affective dimensions of empathy based on performance (Edele et al., 2013; Grynberg et al., 2017).Participants view 40 photos of faces expressing either a positive or negative emotion and must identify the emotion (decoding) and then rate on a 1-9 scale the extent to which they share it (emotional sharing). The task lasts approximately 10 minutes on average.
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
A self-administered scale with 14 items, divided into two subscales of seven items, used to detect the presence of depression and anxiety. Non-cases or asymptomatic individuals (score ≤ 7); probable or borderline cases (score 8-10); clearly or clinically symptomatic cases (score ≥ 11). The administration time is approximately 5 minutes.
Interpersonal Reactivity Index
The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1980; Guttman \& Laporte, 2002) is a 28-item self-report questionnaire measuring four dimensions of empathy: fantasy, perspective taking, empathic concern, and personal distress. Each item is rated on a 1-to-5 scale and provides a subscore for each dimension, with no overall total score. Administration takes approximately 5 minutes.
Vicarious Distress Questionnaire
The Vicarious Distress Questionnaire (Grynberg et al., 2012) is an 18-item self-report scale assessing distress experienced in response to others' suffering and its impact on prosocial behaviors. It includes three dimensions-distress, support, and avoidance-each yielding a specific subscore. Administration takes approximately 5 minutes.
Binge Eating Scale
The Binge Eating Scale (Gormally et al., 1982; Brunault et al., 2016) is a 16-item self-report questionnaire assessing the behavioral, emotional, and cognitive manifestations of binge eating disorder (BED) according to DSM-V criteria. The total score (0-46) reflects symptom severity and can be interpreted dimensionally or categorically (≥ 18 indicating significant symptomatology). Administration takes approximately 5 minutes.
Locations (1)
Clinique les Peupliers
Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France