Psychosocial profiles of young adolescent females seeking treatment for an eating disorder.
OBJECTIVE
Children as young as 12 years of age are presenting for treatment of an eating disorder (ED), underscoring the need to understand the psychological and social make-up of this age group. Early adolescent females seeking treatment for an eating disorder were compared with healthy age-matched controls on psychosocial variables relevant to this stage of development.


METHODS
Self-report measures of individual (e.g., competence and importance ratings across five domains of self-concept, self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism) and contextual factors (e.g., conditional support from mother, father, and peer, and negative peer, family, and school events) were administered to adolescents with EDs (n = 25) and a comparison group comprised of age-matched females from the general population (n = 25 in a low-risk and n = 25 in a high-risk group).


RESULTS
Compared with the control sample, the ED group had significantly lower ratings of competence in physical appearance and higher ratings on the importance of physical appearance and self-oriented perfectionism. There were no group differences on the parental or peer support variables, or on negative life event variables.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has implications for early identification and early intervention.
Kirsh
Gillian
G
Community Health Systems Resource Group, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
McVey
Gail
G
Tweed
Stacey
S
Katzman
Debra K
DK
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011584:Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support