Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: Psychopathological similarities and differences in comparison to anorexia nervosa and the general population

Introduction: Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) categorises patients with selective and/or restrictive eating patterns in the absence of distorted cognition concerning weight, food, and body image. Objective: To examine the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients with ARFID in comparison to those with anorexia nervosa (AN) and to a non-clinical group (NCG). Method: A descriptive, observational, comparative study made up of three groups (ARFID, AN and NCG). Ninety-nine children and adolescents were analyzed by means of a semi-structured diagnostic interview and questionnaires on depression, anxiety, clinical fears and general psychopathology. Results: The ARFID group was significantly younger (10.8 vs. 14.1 years of age), with a greater proportion of males (60.6% vs. 6.1%), an earlier onset of illness (6.2 vs. 13.4 years of age), and a longer period of evolution of the illness (61.2 vs. 8.4 months) compared to the AN group. Clinically, patients with ARFID showed greater medical (42.4% vs. 12.1%) and psychiatric (81.8% vs. 33.3%) comorbidity—assessed with a semi-structured diagnostic interview—greater clinical fear (p < 0.005), more attention problems (p < 0.005) and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression (p < 0.005)—measured with self-report questionnaires. Conclusions: ARFID is a serious disorder with a significant impact on the physical and mental health of the pediatric population. Likewise, some of these physical and mental conditions may be a risk factor in developing ARFID. Attention problems and clinical fears in ARFID, and the greater presence of internalised symptoms in AN, were the main differences found in the psychopathological profiles.