The Concept of Body Image Disturbance in Anorexia Nervosa: An Empirical Inquiry Utilizing Patients' Subjective Experiences

We explored the concept body image disturbance (BID) by utilizing the subjective experience of 32 women (aged 20-39 years) diagnosed with AN (DSM-V). Using methods from Grounded Theory we identified four phenotypes of BID-"Integration," "Denial," "Dissociation," and &qu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Eating disorders 2011-03, Vol.19 (2), p.175-193
Main Authors: Espeset, Ester M. S., Nordbø, Ragnfrid H. S., Gulliksen, Kjersti S., Skårderud, Finn, Geller, Josie, Holte, Arne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anorexia Nervosa - diagnosis
Anorexia Nervosa - psychology
Body Dysmorphic Disorders - psychology
Body Image
Body image disturbances
Body size
Delusions
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Female
Grounded theory
Humans
Phenotypes
Self Concept
Subjective experiences
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:We explored the concept body image disturbance (BID) by utilizing the subjective experience of 32 women (aged 20-39 years) diagnosed with AN (DSM-V). Using methods from Grounded Theory we identified four phenotypes of BID-"Integration," "Denial," "Dissociation," and "Delusion"-which differed according to whether the patients overestimated their own body size ("Subjective reality"), and whether they acknowledged the objective truth that they were underweight ("Objective reality"). The results suggest that BID should be conceptualized as a dynamic failure to integrate subjective experiences of one's own body appearance with an objective appraisal of the body. Conceptual, diagnostic and clinical implications are discussed.
ISSN:1064-0266
1532-530X
DOI:10.1080/10640266.2011.551635