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The psychodynamic diversity of anorexia nervosa
Author(s) -
Swift William J.,
Stern Steven
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(198223)2:1<17::aid-eat2260020103>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , dieting , psychology , psychopathology , normative , psychodynamics , psychotherapist , psychodynamic psychotherapy , gender identity disorder , diversity (politics) , clinical psychology , eating disorders , developmental psychology , gender identity , medicine , weight loss , social psychology , obesity , endocrinology , philosophy , epistemology , sociology , anthropology
This paper proposes that anorexia nervosa patients are a psychodynamically heterogeneous group and can be usefully divided into three subtypes — the borderline; the empty, understructured; and the emotionally‐conflicted, identity‐confused. Clinical experience and the long‐term outcome literature challenge any uniformity assumptions about anorexia nervosa. It is noted that anorexia nervosa appears to be a “spectrum disorder” with presentations ranging from normative adolescent concern about weight, dieting, appearance, etc. to severe psychopathology and classical anorexic symptomatology among those predisposed.