Multi-dimensional self-esteem and magnitude of change in the treatment of anorexia nervosa.

Collin, Paula; Karatzias, Thanos; Power, Kevin; Howard, Ruth; Grierson, David; Yellowlees, Alex

Abstract

Self-esteem improvement is one of the main targets of inpatient eating disorder programmes. The present study sought to examine multi-dimensional self-esteem and magnitude of change in eating psychopathology among adults participating in a specialist inpatient treatment programme for anorexia nervosa. A standardised assessment battery, including multi-dimensional measures of eating psychopathology and self-esteem, was completed pre- and post-treatment for 60 participants (all white Scottish female, mean age=25.63 years). Statistical analyses indicated that self-esteem improved with eating psychopathology and weight over the course of treatment, but that improvements were domain-specific and small in size. Global self-esteem was not predictive of treatment outcome. Dimensions of self-esteem at baseline (Lovability and Moral Self-approval), however, were predictive of magnitude of change in dimensions of eating psychopathology (Shape and Weight Concern). Magnitude of change in Self-Control and Lovability dimensions were predictive of magnitude of change in eating psychopathology (Global, Dietary Restraint, and Shape Concern). The results of this study demonstrate that the relationship between self-esteem and eating disorder is far from straightforward, and suggest that future research and interventions should focus less exclusively on self-esteem as a uni-dimensional psychological construct

Citation

Collin, P., Karatzias, T., Power, K., Howard, R., Grierson, D., & Yellowlees, A. (2016). Multi-dimensional self-esteem and magnitude of change in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Psychiatry Research, 237, 175-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2016.01.046

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 21, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jan 22, 2016
• Publication Date: Mar 30, 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 7, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 23, 2017
• Journal: Psychiatry Research
• Print ISSN: 0165-1781
• Electronic ISSN: 1872-7123
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 237
• Pages: 175-181
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2016.01.046
• Keywords: Anorexia nervosa; Self-esteem; Treatment outcome; Inpatient treatment
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/9533
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2016.01.046