Personality traits in women with anorexia nervosa: evidence for a treatment-seeking bias?
OBJECTIVE
Several personality traits have been associated with anorexia nervosa (AN) in treatment-seeking samples of patients. The current study used a population-based sample to compare the personality characteristics of women with AN who sought treatment versus those who did not.


METHODS
Participants included 27 (14 treatment-seekers, 13 non-treatment-seekers) women with threshold or subthreshold AN and 273 (64 treatment seekers, 209 non-treatment seekers) comparison women from the Minnesota Twin Family Study. Personality was assessed with the higher-order factors and primary scales of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ).


RESULTS
Non-treatment-seeking women showed lower levels of negative emotionality, stress reaction, and alienation than treatment-seeking women.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that personality deviations may be overestimated in treatment-seeking samples.
Perkins
Patrick S
PS
Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA.
Klump
Kelly L
KL
Iacono
William G
WG
McGue
Matt
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010551:Personality