Research published in medical journal, JAMA Psychiatry indicates that women who suffer from the worst symptoms of PTSD were twice as likely to present with a food addiction as women who had never had PTSD symptoms.
The American study looked at 49,408 female nurses from 14 states between the ages of 25 and 42.
The respondents were interviewed about whether they had experienced a traumatic event like childhood abuse, the violent death of a loved one, a serious accident, miscarriage or stillbirth and evaluated for PTSD symptoms, even if they had not been clinically diagnosed with the disorder. A year later the same group of women were asked about their food habits.
Researchers found that the more PTSD symptoms a respondent reported the more likely it was for her to have a psychological dependence on food.
But the study’s authors did concede that there wasn’t enough evidence to establish a direct connection between PTSD and overeating.
“We don’t know if it’s causal. It’s an interesting relationship and probably worth following up,” Susan Mason, from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, told Reuters.
According to Beyond Blue about 1 million Australians experience PTSD in any one year, and 12 per cent of Australians will experience PTSD in their lifetime.
Serious accidents are one of the leading causes of PTSD in Australia and research suggests that it is not unusual for PTSD patients to experience other mental health problems that may have developed in response to a traumatic event.
“I just want this to add to a lot of research that people’s weight status is not just a symptom of willpower and education,” said Mason.
“There may be psychological factors in play too.”
While the research couldn’t define what happened first – the food addiction or the PTSD – the findings could help doctors treating patients with eating disorders.
“Clinicians may be able to look for that information to deliver better care,” Mason said.
