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Personality or pathology?: Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Personality or pathology?: Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa
Personality or pathology?: Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa
Background: Numerous studies have addressed obsessive– compulsive features in adults with anorexia nervosa (AN), but few have been conducted with younger patients. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency and severity of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and obsessive–compulsive personality (OCP) traits, and to explore the relationships between AN, OCD symptoms and OCP traits in young people.

Method: Forty-nine children and adolescents with AN completed measures assessing eating disorder psychopathology, OCD symptoms, OCP traits and perfectionism.

Results: Fifty-one per cent displayed clinically significant levels of OCD symptoms and 16% clinically significant OCP traits. Statistically significant positive relationships were found between AN and OCD symptoms and between OCD symptoms and OCP traits. However, no relationships were found between AN and OCP traits.

Conclusion: This study suggests approximately half of young people with AN may have clinically significant OCD symptoms. Such findings indicate careful assessment for OCD is important in this group.
anorexia nervosa, obsessive–compulsive disorder, perfectionism, children and adolescents, obsessive–compulsive personality traits
1072-4133
404-413
Serpell, Lucy
c77a1028-75cd-4bd2-89e6-0bc0b6aae428
Hirani, Varsha
fed51d10-94a2-4250-9688-df65b48c99c4
Willoughby, Kate
f920c076-e8de-4104-8617-00b28011aa72
Neiderman, Marc
821d9a9e-1b6d-4492-a503-fea4189e741c
Lask, Bryan
cd217286-5307-48f9-ac7d-a41de3317b94
Serpell, Lucy
c77a1028-75cd-4bd2-89e6-0bc0b6aae428
Hirani, Varsha
fed51d10-94a2-4250-9688-df65b48c99c4
Willoughby, Kate
f920c076-e8de-4104-8617-00b28011aa72
Neiderman, Marc
821d9a9e-1b6d-4492-a503-fea4189e741c
Lask, Bryan
cd217286-5307-48f9-ac7d-a41de3317b94

Serpell, Lucy, Hirani, Varsha, Willoughby, Kate, Neiderman, Marc and Lask, Bryan (2006) Personality or pathology?: Obsessive–compulsive symptoms in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa. European Eating Disorders Review, 14 (6), 404-413. (doi:10.1002/erv.742).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: Numerous studies have addressed obsessive– compulsive features in adults with anorexia nervosa (AN), but few have been conducted with younger patients. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency and severity of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms and obsessive–compulsive personality (OCP) traits, and to explore the relationships between AN, OCD symptoms and OCP traits in young people.

Method: Forty-nine children and adolescents with AN completed measures assessing eating disorder psychopathology, OCD symptoms, OCP traits and perfectionism.

Results: Fifty-one per cent displayed clinically significant levels of OCD symptoms and 16% clinically significant OCP traits. Statistically significant positive relationships were found between AN and OCD symptoms and between OCD symptoms and OCP traits. However, no relationships were found between AN and OCP traits.

Conclusion: This study suggests approximately half of young people with AN may have clinically significant OCD symptoms. Such findings indicate careful assessment for OCD is important in this group.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 20 September 2006
Published date: November 2006
Keywords: anorexia nervosa, obsessive–compulsive disorder, perfectionism, children and adolescents, obsessive–compulsive personality traits
Organisations: Psychology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 347526
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/347526
ISSN: 1072-4133
PURE UUID: e4197869-907d-4e22-8443-ec3fe807b93e

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Date deposited: 23 Jan 2013 11:16
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 12:49

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Contributors

Author: Lucy Serpell
Author: Varsha Hirani
Author: Kate Willoughby
Author: Marc Neiderman
Author: Bryan Lask

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