Anorexia nervosa and body dysmorphic disorder: A comparison of body image concerns and explicit and implicit attractiveness beliefs.
Although body image is central to the etiological models of anorexia nervosa and body dysmorphic disorder, studies comparing body image and beliefs about attractiveness between the disorders are rare. Sixty-nine individuals (anorexia nervosa: n=24, body dysmorphic disorder: n=23, healthy controls: n=22) completed self-report measures (body image and general psychopathology), diagnostic interviews, and Go/No-Go Association tasks measuring implicit associations. Compared to controls, both clinical groups exhibited greater negative body image, a more negative attitude toward their physical selves, and more dysfunctional coping strategies (ps<.001). Also, both clinical groups shared greater explicit beliefs about the importance of attractiveness (ps<.001). In addition to supporting previous research with regard to comparable body image disturbance, this study also showed that beliefs regarding the importance of appearance (e.g., "one must be attractive to be successful") might be a fruitful target for therapy across both disorders.
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: andrea.hartmann@uos.de.
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Hartmann
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: jjthomas@mgh.harvard.edu.
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Thomas
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: jlgreenberg@mgh.harvard.edu.
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Greenberg
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: celliott1@mgh.harvard.edu.
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Elliott
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: matheny@psy.fsu.edu.
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Matheny
Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Simches Research Building, 2nd Floor, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: swilhelm@mgh.harvard.edu.
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Wilhelm
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D001504:Beauty; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D001828:Body Image; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055815:Young Adult
Anorexia nervosa; Attractiveness beliefs; Body dysmorphic disorder; Body image disturbance; Coping strategies