Introduction

Disgust is a basic emotion characterized by the feeling of revulsion and evoked by unpleasant stimuli such as contaminated food, poor hygiene and contact with sick or dead organisms. Disgust is a contributing factor to the development of several mental disorders including anxiety disorders (AD). Several studies have tried to explore the relationship between disgust and eating disorders (ED), with heterogeneous findings. Subjects with ED showed a heightened level of disgust sensitivity (DS) when compared with healthy controls (HC).

Objectives

Our study aims to evaluate levels of disgust and anxiety in ED, AD and HC in order to assess associations between these two emotions.

Methods

We enrolled 74 patients admitted to Psychiatric Unit of Careggi, 41 with diagnosis of Eating Disorder, 33 with Anxiety Disorders, and 40 healthy controls. We administered to all groups: Zung Anxiety Scale (ZSAS) and Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-revised (DPSS-r).

Results

Both patients with anxiety disorders and eating disorders showed higher levels of disgust propensity

and sensitivity than healthy controls. Moreover, there was no significant differences in anxiety, Disgust

Propensity (DP) and Disgust Sensitivity levels between patients with eating disorders and anxiety disorders.

Among healthy controls there was a significant association between DS and Anxiety levels (B: 0.579, T:3,416 p:0,001).

Conclusions

Anxiety and disgust are typical emotions of anxiety disorders and eating disorders. However, they are

increased both in anxiety and eating disorders and they are associated in healthy controls. The nature of

this association needs to be deeply investigated.

Introduction

Several studies demonstrate that disgust, defined as a revulsion response aimed at distancing an individual from a potentially harmful or noxious stimulus, is linked to post-traumatic stress following sexual trauma even when accounting for associated fear and anxiety. One of the suggested mechanisms implicated in this association is a feeling of mental contamination. Recent neuroimaging studies demonstrated that exposure to contamination activates the insular cortex. In addition, disgust sensitivity correlates with the activation of the insular cortex.

Objectives

We aimed to investigate the psychopathological role of the emotion of disgust in the developement of anxiety symptoms in patient with an history of abuse.

Methods

We enrolled 84 patients admitted in Psychiatric Unit of Careggi with diagnosis of Anxiety Disorders. We administered to them: Zung Anxiety Scale (ZSAS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-revised (DPSS-r).

Results

Results showed a significant mediation of the association between CTQ emotional abuse scores and total ZSAS scores via DPSS disgust sensitivity scores in patients with anxiety disorders (p=0.022). Total effect and indirect effect of emotional abuse on severity of anxiety symptoms were significant (total effect = 0.494; p=0.051, indirect effect: 0.256, p=0.022), while there was no significant direct effect from emotional abuse to anxiety symptoms in the total model (direct effect: 0.237, p=0.356). The model explained 18% of variance in anxiety symptomatology (R²=0.18).

Conclusions

Such preliminary data suggest a possible mediating role of disgust in development and maintenance of childhood abuse-related anxiety, making it a potential target for psychotherapy.