The effects of acute psychosocial stress on binge urges, inhibitory control, negative urgency and eating pathology in Binge Eating Disorder

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• P Value: Significant (exact values not provided)

• Effect Size: Not reported

• Primary Outcome: Binge urges following acute psychosocial stress

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not applicable - mechanistic study

• Confidence Interval: Not reported

Clinical Application

High - stress management interventions are readily available and implementable in clinical practice Relevant to Australian practice; BED treatment through public mental health services and private psychology under Medicare Better Access scheme. Findings support psychological interventions targeting stress perception rather than just stress reduction Adults with diagnosed Binge Eating Disorder seeking treatment for stress-related binge episodes

Abstract

Stress is frequently reported as a trigger for binge episodes, yet it remains unclear how subjective and physiological stress responses interact with cognitive and affective mechanisms to increase binge eating risk. The present study investigated the effects of acute psychosocial stress on binge urges, focusing on the role of state- and trait-level vulnerabilities. Twenty-eight individuals with BED were randomized to either a Stress condition (n = 14) or No-Stress condition (n = 14). Following an acute psychosocial stressor, participants completed the Stop-Signal Task to behaviourally assess inhibitory control. Self-reported mood, binge urge ratings and saliva samples for stress biomarker detection were collected at three timepoints throughout the experimental session. Results demonstrated that acute psychosocial stress elicited marked increases in total mood disturbance, without corresponding physiological stress responses and significantly impaired inhibitory control. Notably, only subjective stress responses were associated with greater binge urges, whereas physiological stress responses were not. This dissociation highlights subjective stress reactivity as a clinically meaningful mechanism of risk in BED, underscoring the potential value of interventions that target stress perception and regulation to reduce binge eating vulnerability.

References

1. 1.Brassard, S. L., Punia, K., Laliberte, M., Liu, H., Lucibello, K. M., Potter, S., & Balodis, I. M. (2026). The effects of acute psychosocial stress on binge urges, inhibitory control, negative urgency and eating pathology in Binge Eating Disorder. Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2026.03.024