Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Multidimensional self reports as a measure of characteristics in people with eating disorders

  • Original Research Paper
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study used multidimensional self report assessments to measure perfectionism, impulsivity and obsessive compulsive characteristics in females with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and in matched healthy controls (HC). The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS), Barrett Impulsivity Scale (BIS) and Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) scale were completed by 107 participants (AN=30, BN=26, HC=51), in parallel with clinical measures. Results show that people with AN have the highest scores on the dimensions of the FMPS as well as on the overall score; the AN and BN groups have the highest scores on the dimensions and on the overall score of the OCI-R; on the BIS, the AN and BN groups have the highest scores on the attention subscale, but there are no group differences on the overall BIS scores. In relation to the FMPS, the global score, and the subscales ‘concern over mistakes’ and ‘doubts about actions’ are all highly correlated with both eating pathology (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, EDE-Q) and low global functioning (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM IV, SCID). The subscale ‘obsessing’ on the OCI-R shows a strong correlation with eating pathology. The overall score and also the subscales of the BIS do not show strong correlations with eating pathology or poor global functioning. In conclusion, therapies should seek to address these specific areas which are highly correlated with eating disorder pathology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bruch H.: Thin fat people. J. Am. Med. Womens Assoc., 28, 4, 187–188, 1973.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bulik C.M., Sullivan P.F., Weltzin T.E., Kaye W.H.: Temperament in eating disorders. Int. J. Eat. Dis., 17, 251–261, 1995.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Klump K.L., Bulik C.M., Pollice C., Halmi K.A., Fichter M., Berrettini W.H.: Temperament and character in women with anorexia nervosa. J. Nerv. Mental Dis., 188, 559–567, 2000.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Cassin S.E., von Ranson K.M.: Personality and eating disorders: A decade in review. Clin. Psych. Rev., 25, 895–916, 2005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Frost R.O., Marten P., Lahart C., Rosenblate R.: The dimensions of perfectionism. Cog. Ther. Res., 14, 5, 449–468, 1990.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Barratt E.S.: Impulsiveness subtraits: arousal and information processing. In: Spence J.T., Izard C.E. (Eds.), Motivation, emotion and personality. Amsterdam, Elsevier, 137–156, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Foa E.B., Huppert J.D., Leiberg S., Langner R., Kichic R., Hajcak G.: The obsessive-compulsive inventory: development and validation of a short version. Psychol. Assess., 14, 485–496, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Shafran R., Lee M., Payne E., Fairburn C.G.: The impact of manipulating personal standards on eating attitudes and behaviour. Behav. Res. Ther., 897–906, 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hewitt P.L., Flett G.L.: Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualisation, assessment and association with psychopathology. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., 60, 456–470, 1991.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Terry-Short L.A., Owens R.G., Slade P.D., Dewey M.E.: Positive and negative perfectionism. Pers. Ind. Diff., 18, 663–668, 1995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Enns M.W., Cox B.J.: The nature and assessment of perfectionism: A critical analysis. In: Flett G.L., Hewitt P.L. (Eds.), Perfectionism: theory, research and treatment. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2002, pp. 33–62.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  12. Bardone-Cone A.M., Wonderlich S.A., Frost R.O., Bulik C.M., Mitchell J.E., Uppala S., Simonich H.: Perfectionism and eating disorders: Current status and future directions. Clin. Psych. Rev., 27, 384–405, 2007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Halmi K.A., Sunday S.R., Strober M., Kaplan A., Woodside D.M., Fichter M.: Perfectionism in anorexia nervosa: Variation by clinical subtype, obsessionality and pathological eating behaviour. Am. J. Psychiatry, 157, 1799–1805, 2000.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bastiani A.M., Rao R., Weltzin T., Kaye W.H.: Perfectionism in anorexia nervosa. Int. J. Eat. Dis., 17, 147–152, 1995.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Lilenfeld L.R.R., Stein D., Bulik C.M., Strober M., Plotnicov K., Pollice C., Rao R., Merikangas K.R., Nagy L., Kaye W.H.: Personality traits among current eating disordered, recovered and never ill first-degree relatives of bulimic and control women. Psychol. Med., 30, 1399–1410, 2000.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Davis C.: Normal and neurotic perfectionism in eating disorders: An interactive model. Int. J. Eat. Dis., 22, 421–426, 1997.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Bulik C.M., Tozzi F., Anderson C., Mazzeo S.E., Aggen S., Sullivan P.F.: The relation between eating disorders and components of perfectionism. Am. J. Psychiatry, 160, 366–368, 2003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Fahy T., Eisler I.: Impulsivity and eating disorders. Br. J. Psychiatry, 162, 193–197, 1993.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Spinella M.: Normative data and a short form of the Barratt impulsiveness scale. Int. J. Neurosci., 117, 359–368, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Dougherty D.M., Bjork J.M., Huckabee H.C., Moeller F.G., Swann A.C.: Laboratory measures of aggression and impulsivity in women with borderline personality disorder. Psych. Res., 85, 3, 315–326, 1999.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Zilberman M.L., Tavares H., El-Guebaly N.: Relationship between craving and personality in treatmentseeking women with substance-related disorders. B.M.C. Psychiatry, 3, 1, 1–5, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Claes L., Vandereycken W., Vertommen H.: Impulsive and compulsive traits in eating disordered patients compared with controls. Pers. Indiv. Diff., 32, 707–714, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Rosval L., Steiger H., Bruce K., Israel M., Richardson J., Aubut M.: Impulsivity in women with eating disorders: problem of response inhibition, planning or attention? Int. J. Eat. Disord., 39, 7, 590–593, 2006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Sanavio E.: Obsessions and compulsions: the Padua Inventory. Behav. Res. Ther., 26, 167–177, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Thordarson D.S., Radomsky A.S., Rachman S., Shafran R., Sawchuk C.N., Hakstian A.R.: The Vancouver Obsessional Compulsive Inventory (VOCI). Behav. Res. Ther., 42, 1289–1314, 2004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Goodman W.K., Price L.H., Rasmussen S.A., Mazure C., Fleischmann R.L., Hill C.L.: The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. I. Development, use and reliability. Arch. Gen. Psych., 46, 1006–1011, 1989.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Hodson R.J., Rachman S.: Obsessional-compulsive complaints. Behav. Res. Ther., 15, 5, 389–95, 1977.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Mataix-Cols, D., Conceicao do Rosario-Campos M., Leckman J.F.: A multidimensional model of obsessivecompulsive disorder. Am. J. Psychiatry, 162, 2, 228–238, 2005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Vitousek K., Manke F.: Personality variables and disorders in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. J. Abnorm. Psychol., 103, 137–147, 1994.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Serpell L., Livingston A., Neiderman M., Lask B.: Anorexia nervosa: obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, or neither? Clin. Psychol. Rev., 22, 5, 647–669, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Yaryura-Obias M.A., Pinto A., Neziroglu F.: The integration of primary anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Eat.Weight Disord., 6, 4, 174–180, 2001.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Anderluh M.B., Tchanturia K., Rabe-Hesketh S., Treasure J.: Childhood obsessive-compulsive personality traits in adult women with eating disorders: Defining a broader eating disorder phenotype. Am. J. Psychiatry, 160, 242–247, 2003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Kaye W., Bulik C.M., Thornton L., Barbarich N., Masters K.: Price Foundation Collaborative Group. Comorbidity of anxiety disorders with anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Am. J. Psychiatry, 161, 2215–2221, 2004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. First M.B., Spitzer R.L., Gibbon M., Williams J.B.W.: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders, Research Version, Non-patient Edition. (SCID-I/NP). New York, Biometrics Research, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Fairburn C.G., Beglin S.J.: Assessment of eating disorders: interview or self-report questionnaire? Int. J. Eat. Disord., 16, 4, 363–370, 1994.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Garner D.M., Olmsted M.P., Polivy J.: Development and validation of a multidimensional eating disorder inventory for anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 9, 1–15, 1983.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Lyke J.A., Spinella M.: Associations among aspects of impulsivity and eating factors in a nonclinical sample. In. J. Eat. Disord., 36, 229–233, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Jones B., Duncan C., Brouwers P., Mirsky A.: Cognition in eating disorders. J. Clin. Exp. Neuropsychol., 13, 711–728, 1991.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Wonderlich S.A., Mitchell J.E.: Eating disorders and comorbidity: Empirical, conceptual and clinical implications. Psychopharm. Bull., 33, 381–390, 1997.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Claes L., Nederkoorn C., Vandereycken W., Guerrieri R., Vertommen H.: Impulsiveness and lack of inhibitory control in eating disorders. Eat. Behav., 7., 3, 196–203, 2006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Frost R.O., Krause M.S., Steketee G.: Hoarding and obsessive-compulsive symptoms Behav. Modif., 20, 116–132, 1996.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Pertusa A., Fullana M., Singh S., Alonso P., Menchón J., Mataix-Cols D.: Compulsive Hoarding: OCD Symptom, Distinct Clinical Syndrome, or Both? Am. J. Psychiatry, 165, 1289–1298, 2008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Eating Disorders Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, PO59, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK

    H. Davies, P.-C. Liao, I.C. Campbell & K. Tchanturia

Authors
  1. H. Davies
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P.-C. Liao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. I.C. Campbell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K. Tchanturia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Davies.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Davies, H., Liao, PC., Campbell, I. et al. Multidimensional self reports as a measure of characteristics in people with eating disorders. Eat Weight Disord 14, e84–e91 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327804

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327804

Key words

Search

Navigation