Premium
Toward an early recognition of anorexia nervosa
Author(s) -
WeedaMannak Winny L.,
Drop Maria J.,
Smits Frans,
Strijbosch Leo W.,
Bremer Joost J. C. B.
Publication year - 1983
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(198322)2:4<27::aid-eat2260020405>3.0.co;2-h
Subject(s) - anorectic , anorexia nervosa , psychology , asymptomatic , anorexia , amenorrhea , personality , psychiatry , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , psychotherapist , medicine , body weight , eating disorders , endocrinology , social psychology , pregnancy , biology , genetics
Early recognition and intervention of anorexia nervosa raises questions of whether anorexia nervosa is a distinct disease entity, fundamentally different from other, including milder, forms of the illness and whether fundamental differences precede the anorectic behavior and associated weight loss. The present study, aimed at finding answers to the first question, examined the anorectic and psychological characteristics of patients with anorexia nervosa, secondary amenorrhea, and asymptomatic, healthy subjects. Results indicate that the anorectic characteristics are significant, but gradually different among the groups. Certain psychological characteristics, such as the achievement motive and approval motive, are commonly found in the secondary amenorrhea group and less commonly in the asymptomatic, healthy group. Fundamental differences between the anorexia nervosa group and the secondary amenorrhea and asymptomatic groups were found in the motive fear of failure. The findings seem to support the proposition that while the anorectic symptomatology may show gradual differences, some underlying personality characteristics are fundamentally different.