NCT07201662

The Role of Empathy in the Links Between Binge Eating Disorder and Interpersonal Difficulties

Role of Empathy in the Links Between Binge Eating Disorder and Interpersonal Difficulties in the Context of Obesity in a Clinical Population

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 155 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Clinique de la Mitterie · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

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.

Detailed description

Obesity has been recognized as a chronic disease by the World Health Organization since 1998. In the Hauts-de-France region, obesity affects 22.1% of adults. Psychologically, it has been noted that obese individuals may experience intrapersonal difficulties (eating disorders such as binge eating disorder \[BED\], i.e., bulimia nervosa) and interpersonal difficulties, such as empathy disorders. Empathy is generally defined as a multidimensional concept, comprising two dimensions known as "cognitive" (decoding emotion) and "affective" (sharing emotion). Empathic skills are significantly weaker in obese adults than in adults of normal weight. However, only ten studies were included in this research, and only two studies focused on affective empathy. In addition, the methodologies were highly heterogeneous (experimental tasks, self-assessment questionnaires). Therefore, the investigators believe it is essential to examine the links between obesity, cognitive empathy, and affective empathy in the adult population using a mixed methodology based on an experimental task and questionnaires. In addition, the investigators wish to examine the role of BED in explaining possible empathy disorders associated with obesity. Finally, the investigators wish to better understand the links between empathy difficulties and interpersonal difficulties.

Conditions

• Obesity &Amp;Amp; Overweight

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	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.
OTHER	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.
OTHER	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.
OTHER	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.
OTHER	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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-11-05
• Primary completion: 2025-11-05
• Completion: 2027-03-01
• First posted: 2025-10-01
• Last updated: 2026-01-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: France