Psychosocial Profiles of Young Adolescent Females Seeking Treatment for an Eating Disorder

Abstract Purpose Children as young as 12 years of age are presenting for treatment of an eating disorder (ED), underscoring the need to understand the psychological and social make-up of this age group. Early adolescent females seeking treatment for an eating disorder were compared with healthy age-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescent health 2007-04, Vol.40 (4), p.351-356
Main Authors: Kirsh, Gillian, Ph.D, McVey, Gail, Ph.D, Tweed, Stacey, B.Sc., M.A, Katzman, Debra K., M.D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior - psychology
Adolescents
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Case-Control Studies
Child
Competence
Eating behavior disorders
Eating disorders
Feeding and Eating Disorders - epidemiology
Feeding and Eating Disorders - psychology
Feeding and Eating Disorders - therapy
Female
Humans
Life events
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Ontario
Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology
Pediatrics
Perfectionism
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychosocial factors
Self Concept
Self-Worth
Selfworth
Social Support
Young adolescent females
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Summary:Abstract Purpose Children as young as 12 years of age are presenting for treatment of an eating disorder (ED), underscoring the need to understand the psychological and social make-up of this age group. Early adolescent females seeking treatment for an eating disorder were compared with healthy age-matched controls on psychosocial variables relevant to this stage of development. Methods Self-report measures of individual (e.g., competence and importance ratings across five domains of self-concept, self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism) and contextual factors (e.g., conditional support from mother, father, and peer, and negative peer, family, and school events) were administered to adolescents with EDs (n = 25) and a comparison group comprised of age-matched females from the general population (n = 25 in a low-risk and n = 25 in a high-risk group). Results Compared with the control sample, the ED group had significantly lower ratings of competence in physical appearance and higher ratings on the importance of physical appearance and self-oriented perfectionism. There were no group differences on the parental or peer support variables, or on negative life event variables. Conclusion This study has implications for early identification and early intervention.
ISSN:1054-139X
1879-1972
DOI:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.11.003