The relationship between Trait Emotional Intelligence and Eating Disorders: the mediating role of Self-Compassion and Weight Bias Internalization.

Abstract Introduction: Trait Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand, regulate and communicate one's emotions in an adaptive manner. EI influences the way of managing stressful situations, favoring in the individual the tendency towards self-compassion (SC), which consists of an attitude of kindness, acceptance, and care towards oneself and towards one's failures. SC, precisely because it promotes selfacceptance and is linked to emotional regulation, seems to reduce Weight Bias Internalization (WBI) which consists in the self-attribution of stigmatizing stereotypes relating to one's weight. Research has shown that WBI is associated with unhealthy behaviors, poor psychological well-being, and eating disorders (ED), and it has been hypothesized that it may mediate the relationship between SC and ED. The aim of this study is to examine whether the association between ED and EI is mediated by SC and WBI. Methods: 534 women aged between 18 and 41 years old (M = 25.17; SD = 5.27); 292 with clinical diagnosis of EDs and 242 with self-reported unhealth eating habits were recruited via advertisements on social media platforms and filled an electronic survey. Results: SEM with latent variables was used to test a model with EI as predictor variable, SC as first mediator, WBI as second mediator and ED as outcome. The model showed good fit indices: χ2(48) = 271.39, p<.001; CFI = .96, RMSEA = .09 (90% CI = .08 – .10), SRMR = .05. Significant paths were found from EI to SC (β = .66), WBI (β = -.21) and ED (β = -.11). Significant paths were found from SC to WBI (β = -.46) and ED (β = -.16) and from WBI to ED (β = .53). We evaluated possible differences using multi-group analyses across the two groups. A constrained model with the paths of the hypothesized model set equal across the two groups, χ2(102) = 321.66, p<.001, CFI = .96, was compared to an unconstrained model with all paths allowed to vary across the two groups, χ2(96) = 301.56, p <.001, CFI = .96. The fit indices of the unconstrained model significantly differ from the constrained model, indicating structural differences across the two groups, Δχ2(6) = 17.74, p<.01, ΔCFI <.001. Conclusion: Women with EI tend to have higher SC and lower WBI, ED prevention and treatment programs focused on SC should focus more on aspects related to EI and WBI to help women adopt more eating behaviors healthy.