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Emotional functioning in anorexia nervosa patients: Adolescents compared to adults
Author(s) -
ZonnevylleBender Marjo J.S.,
van Goozen Stephanie H.M.,
CohenKettenis Peggy T.,
van Elburg Annemarie,
de Wildt Martin,
Stevelmans Elis,
van Engeland Herman
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.10145
Subject(s) - alexithymia , anorexia nervosa , psychology , anxiety , clinical psychology , eating disorders , psychiatry
Studies concerning eating disorder patients have revealed the presence of alexithymia, depressive, and anxiety disorders. We compared these aspects of emotional functioning in two groups of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients: adolescents vs. adults. Forty‐eight adolescent anorexia nervosa patients (ADO) and 23 adult anorexia nervosa patients (ADU) completed a battery of tasks and questionnaires to measure these different aspects of emotional functioning and to control for differences of a more general cognitive nature. Both groups showed marked resemblance; both had high alexithymia scores and performed worse on emotional tasks measuring aspects of alexithymia. Furthermore, both groups showed high percentages of depressive and anxiety disorders, with the ADU group scoring only higher on specific and social phobia than the ADO group. Adult and adolescent AN patient groups do not differ substantially with respect to emotional functioning. Depression and Anxiety 19:35–42, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.