Predictors of recovery in eating disorders: A focus on different definitions

Objective Only half of the patients with eating disorders (EDs) fully recover. To increase these rates, knowledge about predictors is essential. Previous studies found that purging behaviors, BMI, ED duration, and depression, predicted symptomatic ED recovery. The current study investigated these four predictors for symptomatic improvement and the subjective experience of recovery. Method Participants who completed the baseline and second wave of the Netherlands Eating disorder Registry (NER) (N = 374), were categorized into: (1) Subjective recovery; (2) Clinical improvement; (3) Symptomatic recovery. Using regression analyses, it was investigated if the four baseline factors predicted recovery at wave two. Effects were compared among a binge‐purging and restricting group. Results In total, 136 participants were subjectively recovered, 135 showed clinical improvement, and 70 were symptomatically recovered. Overlap occurred between definitions. Lower depression scores predicted subjective recovery (OR 0.77, p