title: Bulimic symptoms and the social withdrawal syndrome.
abstract: One hundred and thirty-seven undergraduates (81 females; mean age = 21 years-10 months) completed the Bulimic SEDS subscale and standardized measures of trust beliefs in close others (mother, father, and friend), disclosure to them, and loneliness. Structural Equation Modelling yielded: (1) a negative path between Bulimic Symptoms and trust beliefs, (2) a positive path between trust beliefs and disclosure, (3) a negative path between trust beliefs and loneliness, and (4) a negative path between disclosure and loneliness. As expected, trust beliefs statistically mediated the relations between Bulimic Symptoms and both disclosure and loneliness and disclosure statistically mediated the relation between trust beliefs and loneliness. The findings supported the conclusion that individuals with bulimia nervosa are prone to the social withdrawal syndrome comprising a coherent and integrated pattern of low trust beliefs in close others, low disclosure to close others, and high loneliness.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Keele University, Keele, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK. k.j.rotenberg@keele.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ken J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Rotenberg
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bharathi
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Finch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D030881:Disclosure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012934:Social Isolation; D013577:Syndrome; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bulimic symptoms; Disclosure; Loneliness; Social withdrawal; Syndrome; Trust