Feelings of emptiness are a core symptom of borderline personality disorder (BPD). In addition to BPD, research indicates emptiness is experienced by individuals with other psychopathology, as well as by community indiviudals. Further, studies suggest the experience of emptiness consists of multiple components. However, few studies have investigated emptiness and its components in community populations, especially from a qualitative perspective. Such research could indicate whether emptiness is experienced similarly by clinical and nonclinical individuals. Furthermore, although research indicates feelings of emptiness are linked with binge eating symptoms, studies are limited when it comes to specific components of emptiness, especially in community individuals. To address these gaps in the research, this study used qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate components of emptiness and their link to binge eating symptoms in a community sample of young adults. 

For the qualitative part of this study, participants were instructed to write a narrative about a time during which they felt empty. Based on previous research, the following hypotheses were formulated for this part: (a) known emptiness components are found in the narratives; (b) new emptiness components are found in the narratives; and (c) binge eating is found in response to feelings of emptiness in the narratives.

For the quantitative part of this study, participants filled out self-report questionnaires measuring components of emptiness and binge eating symptoms. Based on previous research, the following hypotheses were formulated for this part: (d) all measured components of emptiness have a significant positive relationship with binge eating symptoms; and (e) the component sense of inner emptiness has an especially strong relationship with binge eating symptoms.