Perfectionism dimensions in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the dimensions of perfectionism in adolescents with anorexia nervosa in comparison with adolescents from the general population and to validate the Spanish versions of two measures of perfectionism.


METHODS
The Child and Adolescents Perfectionism Scale (CAPS), the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale (PSPS) scale, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to a group of 71 anorexia nervosa patients (mean age 15.3 years). Moreover, the CAPS and the PSPS were also administered to 113 adolescents from the general population (mean age 14.6 years). The CAPS and the PSPS were administered again after 1 week in 68 subjects to evaluate test-retest reliability.


RESULTS
Both the CAPS and the PSPS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha for anorexia nervosa patients = .91; Cronbach alpha for general population = .85) and the two scales of the CAPS also had alpha coefficients in excess of .7. One-week test-retest reliability was also adequate (r = .80). Anorexia nervosa patients had higher mean scores in Self-oriented perfectionism (p < .001) and Perfectionistic self-presentation (p < .001) but not in Socially prescribed perfectionism (p = .292). There were significant correlations among perfectionism and the EAT and the BDI. A percentage of anorexia nervosa patients between 39% and 42% obtained a score higher than the mean in the comparison group plus two standard deviations in Self-oriented perfectionism and Perfectionistics self-presentation.


CONCLUSIONS
The Spanish version of the CAPS and the PSPS showed good psychometric properties. A percentage of 40% of adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa show high Self-oriented perfectionism and Perfectionistic self-presentation.
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer), Hospital Clínic Universitari of Barcelona, Spain, Barcelona, Spain. jcastro@clinic.ub.es
Josefina
J
Castro
Araceli
A
Gila
Pilar
P
Gual
Francisca
F
Lahortiga
Begoña
B
Saura
Josep
J
Toro
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires