[Perception of social rank and submissive behavior in eating disorders].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper is to study the social behavior in patients with eating disorders, in particular the presence of low social ranking and high submissive behavior. We also considered the relationship between these factors and the presence of some personality traits and pathological eating behaviors.


METHODS
We performed a case-control study on 249 young women (124 controls and 125 eating disorders subjects). Eating disorders were diagnosed as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and eating disorders non otherwise specified. The patients underwent a routine assessment by means of a diagnostic interview and some self-reported questionnaires. All the subjects (cases and controls) also completed two scales for the assessment of social ranking and submissive behaviors. The two questionnaires were translated from English with the back-translation method.


RESULTS
The two scales were valid and reliable in their Italian version. We observed a significant difference between cases and controls: social ranking was lower in cases, and submissive behavior was lower in controls. Social ranking had an inverse relationship with submissive behavior both in cases and controls, and a significant correlation was found with other interpersonal aspects (ineffectiveness, interpersonal sensitivity) and with some pathological traits and behaviors, like self-injurious behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study shows that features of low social ranking and submissive behavior are common in eating disorders subjects. These features could represent a risk factor for the development of an eating disorder or, on the contrary, represent a consequence of an eating disorder. A useful therapeutic approach to these disorders could be focused on shifting from submissive to assertive behavior.
Veronese
Angela
A
Clinica Psichiatrica, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università di Padova, Centro Regionale per i Disturbi del Comportamento Alimentare, Padova. veroneseangela@gmail.com
Zanon
Silvana
S
Zanetti
Tatiana
T
Santonastaso
Paolo
P
Favaro
Angela
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000855:Anorexia / Q000523:psychology; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D012919:Social Behavior; D012923:Social Class; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult