Objective Quantitative evidence suggests that a subset of individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) may hold beliefs pertaining to food, body image, and appearance that are delusional in nature. The present study extended this research through qualitatively exploring beliefs held by AN patients and the consequences of holding such beliefs. Method Five participants receiving inpatient treatment for AN took part in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed and analysed according to the principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results Two superordinate themes emerged: “Delusion-like beliefs,” which detailed participants’ conviction that their bodies responded to food and exercise differently to others and thus they must engage in disordered behaviours to remain at a normal weight; and “Process,” which captured the ways in which participants maintained their beliefs and addressed their variable relationship with insight. Conclusions The current findings suggest that anorectic cognitions can take a delusional quality and thus may not be overvalued ideas only.

中文翻译：

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神经性厌食症的妄想信念：解释性现象学分析

客观 定量证据表明，一部分患有神经性厌食症 (AN) 的人可能持有与食物、身体形象和外表有关的信念，而这些信念本质上是妄想。本研究通过定性探索 AN 患者持有的信念以及持有这些信念的后果来扩展这项研究。方法 5 名接受 AN 住院治疗的参与者参加了半结构式访谈，根据解释性现象学分析的原则进行转录和分析。结果 出现了两个上级主题：“类似妄想的信念”，它详细说明了参与者的信念，即他们的身体对食物和锻炼的反应与其他人不同，因此他们必须从事无序的行为才能保持正常体重；和“过程，”，它捕捉了参与者保持信念的方式，并用洞察力解决了他们的可变关系。结论 目前的研究结果表明，厌食症认知可能具有妄想的性质，因此可能不仅仅是被高估的想法。