title: Anorexia nervosa in a blind girl.
abstract: Eating disorders represent significant psychopathological spectrum, particularly in adolescent girls. One of the risk factors associated with eating disorders is a strong emphasis of western visual-oriented culture on physical appearance and slimness. However, sensory handicap leading to disability to see one's own body and bodies of others does not mean that eating disorder cannot develop in blind people. The authors believe that body image is a mental construct that is not dependent on sensory perception only. They present the case of an adolescent patient, blind from early childhood, who shows symptoms of mental anorexia, depression, suicidal behavior and self-harming.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, 2nd faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic. jana.kocourkova@lfmotol.cuni.cz
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kocourkova
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soltysova
authors.forename: Marketa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohaplova
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hrdlicka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001828:Body Image; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011613:Psychotherapy