title: Examining affect and perfectionism in relation to eating disorder symptoms among women with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: This study examined personality and affective variables in relation to eating disorder symptoms in anorexia nervosa (AN). Women (N=118) with DSM-IV AN completed baseline questionnaires (Beck Depression Inventory, Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale) and interviews (Eating Disorder Examination, Yale-Brown-Cornell Eating Disorder Scale), followed by two weeks of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) involving multiple daily reports of affective states and eating disorder behaviors. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted using eating disorder symptoms as dependent variables (i.e., EMA binge eating, EMA self-induced vomiting, eating disorder rituals, eating disorder preoccupations, dietary restraint). Predictor variables were maladaptive perfectionism (baseline), depressive symptoms (baseline), and affect lability (EMA). Results revealed that affect lability was independently associated with binge eating, whereas depressive symptoms were independently associated with self-induced vomiting. Depressive symptoms were independently associated with eating disorder rituals, whereas both depressive symptoms and maladaptive perfectionism were independently associated with eating disorder preoccupations. Finally, maladaptive perfectionism and affect lability were both independently associated with dietary restraint. This pattern of findings suggests the importance of affective and personality constructs in relation to eating disorder symptoms in AN and may highlight the importance of targeting these variables in the context of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Heath Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA. Electronic address: jlavender@nrifargo.com.
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lavender
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Heath Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA.
authors.forename: Linsey M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Utzinger
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Heath Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wonderlich
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Heath Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA.
authors.forename: Ross D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Crosby
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Heath Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA.
authors.forename: Scott G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Heath Sciences, Fargo, ND, USA.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Le Grange
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; The Emily Program, St. Paul, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Scott J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Crow
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; The Emily Program, St. Paul, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Carol B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Peterson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D004644:Emotions; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015146:Midwestern United States; D000072639:Perfectionism; D010551:Personality; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Eating pathology; Emotion; Personality; Preoccupations; Rituals