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PRE‐PUBERTAL ANOREXIA NERVOSA: A RETROSPECTIVE CONTROLLED STUDY
Author(s) -
Jacobs Brian W.,
Isaacs Stephen
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1986.tb02333.x
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , psychology , psychotherapist , retrospective cohort study , psychiatry , clinical psychology , eating disorders , medicine
— Pre‐pubertal anorexia nervosa is a challenge to the explanatory powers of the many aetiological theories. This retrospective controlled study specifically compares 20 subjects with pre‐pubertal anorexia nervosa to matched post‐pubertal anorectic and pre‐pubertal neurotic groups. The results show greater pre‐morbid feeding problems in the index group and their families; both pre‐pubertal groups show more behavioural problems before becoming ill. The illness is very similar in the two anorectic groups; they show comparable levels of sexual anxiety, and self‐injury rates (35%) are equal. The implications of these findings for the various theories are discussed.