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An introduction to the special issue on trauma, PTSD, and eating disorders

To date, a plethora of scientific studies have examined the relationship between psychological trauma or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders (EDs). However, the literature thus far has focused largely on prevalence estimates, descriptive statistics, and correlational data. There have been relatively few studies on mechanisms of the PTSD-ED association, particularly longitudinal ones. Further, trauma and PTSD often complicate the course of ED treatment and make it more difficult for individuals with this comorbidity to achieve a full recovery (Keel & Brown, 2010; Trottier, 2020), underscoring the need for more research on integrated treatments. While the clinical implications of comorbid PTSD and ED are clear, there are still substantial gaps in the literature that necessitate further exploration. As scientist-practitioners, we felt an urgency to push the literature forward and thus decided to compile a special issue on this topic. In our call for papers, we noted specific interest in two types of manuscripts: 1) studies that tackled complex questions about the functional relationship between trauma or PTSD, and ED symptoms, and 2) treatment-focused studies based on sound theoretical rationale or preliminary empirical support. Fortunately, we received several articles that met these criteria, and believe that the resulting special issue represents a meaningful contribution to the literature. This special issue is divided into three sections, with each section focusing on a specific theme. Part 1, “New Contributions to the Trauma Exposure/ PTSD-ED link” features three articles examining the relationship between trauma exposure or PTSD, and ED symptomatology. The section begins with an article by Zelkowitz et al. (2021) that explores cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of various forms of trauma exposure (violent, sexual, and other) and PTSD on disordered eating among 1,420 community-based youth. Next, Afari et al. (2021) examine the genetic and environmental relationships between PTSD symptoms and maladaptive eating behaviors in a community sample of 400 same-sex twins. Finally, Convertino et al. (2021) explore the association between two correlates of ED behavior among Latino men who have sex with men (MSM)—muscularity-related dissatisfaction and