Premium
Anorexic self‐control and bulimic self‐hate: Differential outcome prediction from initial self‐image
Author(s) -
Birgegård Andreas,
Björck Caroline,
Norring Claes,
Sohlberg Staffan,
Clinton David
Publication year - 2009
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/eat.20642
Subject(s) - psychology , anorexia nervosa , bulimia nervosa , outcome (game theory) , self image , anorexia , eating disorders , clinical psychology , self concept , regression analysis , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , medicine , mathematics , mathematical economics , machine learning , computer science
Objective: The study investigated initial self‐image (structural analysis of social behavior) and its relation to 36‐month outcome, among patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Hypotheses were that degree of different aspects of self‐image would predict outcome in the groups. Method: Participants were 52 patients with anorexia and 91 with bulimia from a longitudinal naturalistic database, and outcome measures included eating disorder and psychiatric symptoms and a general outcome index. Stepwise regression was used to investigate which self‐image variables were related to outcome, and multiple regression contrasted the groups directly on each obtained predictor. Results: Consistent with hypotheses, in bulimia degree of self‐hate/self‐love moderately predicted outcome, whereas self‐control–related variables powerfully predicted outcome in anorexia. Discussion: It is important to focus on self‐image in the treatment of both diagnostic groups, but especially in anorexia nervosa, where control‐submission interactions between patient and therapist should be handled with care. © 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2009