Which of the following is a characteristic of Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED)?

The characteristic of Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) is that it involves clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning, but does not meet the full criteria for any specific eating disorder like Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa. This means that individuals may display symptoms of eating disturbances that are severe enough to warrant clinical attention but do not completely align with the diagnostic criteria of the established categories. As a result, these individuals experience significant distress related to their eating behaviors or body image, which is a hallmark of OSFED.

In contrast, the other choices either suggest that full diagnostic criteria are met, that the eating disturbances are exclusively linked to depressive episodes, or that the issues solely arise from environmental factors. However, OSFED denotes a broader category where the symptoms are present and impactful, yet do not correspond to a specific disorder recognized in diagnostic classifications. Thus, the option describing clinically significant distress without meeting full criteria accurately encapsulates the essence of OSFED.