The results of research aimed at identifying psychological predictors of impulsive and restrictive behaviours in a population of females suffering from anorexia or bulimia nervosa - the author’s own research report

Abstract

Aim of the study. The results of research aimed at identifying psychological predictors of impulsive and restrictive behaviours in a population of females suffering from anorexia or bulimia. Subject or material and methods. Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) devised by D. Garner. Clinical group:90 Polish females with bulimia and anorexia, A control group: 121 women, who exhibited no eating disorders. Results. Analysis of the data gathered as a result of this research demonstrated that the females comprising the clinical sample, who exhibited symptoms of bulimia or anorexia displayed inappropriate levels of all emotional and cognitive characteristics. Statistically significant differences were observed between the clinical and control subjects in terms of the variables investigated in the study. Discussion. The data analysis revealed that low interoceptive awareness proved to be a significant predictor of impulsive and restrictive behaviors in anorexia and bulimia. Perfectionism and body dissatisfaction were found to be significant determinants of restrictive behaviors. Whereas, such variables as a tendency towards bulimia and body dissatisfaction emerged as predictive factors for the symptoms of bulimia and bulimia type anorexia. Conclusions. Possibility that a psychological diagnosis of the emotional and cognitive characteristics displayed by females diagnosed with anorexia or bulimia nervosa is likely to facilitate the process of detecting the symptoms which are typical of the particular types of eating disorders, and thus it is a tool that can be useful at the initial stage of treatment, which involves establishing appropriate psychological interventions aimed at eliminating impulsive and restrictive behaviors developed in patients diagnosed with the aforementioned eating disorders.