Body dissatisfaction in women with eating disorders: relationship to early separation anxiety and insecure attachment.
OBJECTIVE
It has been suggested that an insecure style of attachment may be one of the factors implicated in the etiology of body dissatisfaction, which, in turn, is a risk factor for eating disorders. The present study analyzed the association among early separation anxiety, insecure attachment, and body dissatisfaction in a clinical sample of 96 women with anorexia nervosa (n = 31) or bulimia nervosa (n = 65).


METHODS
Body dissatisfaction was measured using the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), early separation anxiety was measured using the Separation Anxiety Symptom Inventory (SASI), and adult attachment style was measured using the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ).


RESULTS
In both anorectic and bulimic women, BSQ scores were strongly correlated with SASI and ASQ scores. In a hierarchical regression model controlling for the confounding effects of body mass index and depressive symptoms, early separation anxiety and preoccupied attachment emerged as significant predictors of high levels of body dissatisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on the cross-sectional findings of this study, insecure attachment appears to be a consistent correlate of negative body image evaluations in women with either anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. If future prospective studies will confirm that an insecure style of attachment plays a role in promoting the development of body dissatisfaction, prevention and treatment of disordered eating pathology might be enhanced by focusing greater attention on attachment relationships.
Troisi
Alfonso
A
Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, via Guattani 14, 00161 Rome, Italy. alfonso.troisi@uniroma2.it
Di Lorenzo
Giorgio
G
Alcini
Stefano
S
Nanni
Roberta Croce
RC
Di Pasquale
Claudia
C
Siracusano
Alberto
A
D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009769:Object Attachment; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012737:Sex Factors