The investigation of the relationship between emotion regulation process strategies, cognitive-attentional syndrome, and perceived psychological stress with eating disorder in overweight individuals

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between emotion regulation process strategies, cognitive-attentional syndrome, and perceived psychological stress with eating disorder in overweight individuals. The research method was descriptive–correlational. The statistical population of the study consisted of all overweight individuals residing in the city of Yazd who were accessible to the researcher during the fourth quarter of the year 1404 (2025–2026). Based on Cochran's formula (1977), a sample size of 384 individuals was determined, who were selected through convenience sampling. For data collection, the Eating Disorder Questionnaire by Van Strien et al. (1986), the Emotion Regulation Process Strategies Questionnaire by Schutte et al. (2009), the Cognitive-Attentional Syndrome Questionnaire by Wells (2009), and the Perceived Psychological Stress Questionnaire by Cohen et al. (1983) were used. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 27. The results indicated that there was no relationship between emotion regulation process strategies and eating disorder in overweight individuals. Furthermore, cognitive-attentional syndrome, with a correlation coefficient of 0.29, and its components—including the time individuals are engaged with worry and rumination with a correlation coefficient of 0.32, threat monitoring with a correlation coefficient of 0.19, coping behaviors with a correlation coefficient, and the degree of belief in metacognitive beliefs with a correlation coefficient of 0.26—had a significant positive relationship with eating disorder in overweight individuals. In addition, perceived psychological stress, with a correlation coefficient of 0.46, had a significant positive relationship with eating disorder in overweight individuals. Finally, 24% of the variance in the criterion variable, namely eating disorder, could be explained by the variables of emotion regulation process strategies, cognitive-attentional syndrome, and perceived psychological stress.