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Self-reported competencies and problems among Swedish girls with eating disorders and a control sample, using the Youth Self-Report

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Abstract

Objective: To study self-reported competencies and problems in adolescent girls with eating disorders, anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) compared to matched normal controls. Method: The Youth Self-Report (YSR) was completed by 211 girls between 13 and 17 years of age with eating disorders and 211 controls matched for age, sex, and geographical area. Results: Girls with eating disorders scored lower on all competence scales and higher on most problem scales compared to controls. Type of diagnosis had no effect on competence scales, but BN-patients scored higher than AN- and EDNOS-patients on many problem scales. AN-bingers/purgers reported more problems than restrictors on somatic complaints, delinquent behaviour, and the externalizing dimension. Discussion: We conclude that the YSR gives important information concerning self-reported competencies and concomitant symptoms of general psychopathology in eating disordered adolescent girls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Göteborg University, P.O. Box 500, SE 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden

    K. Ekeroth & A. G. Broberg

  2. Psychiatric Research Centre, örebro and Department of Clinical Medicine, Division of Psychiatry, Örebro University, Sweden

    I. Engström

  3. Department of Clinical Science, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Umeå University, Sweden

    B. Hägglöf

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  1. K. Ekeroth
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  2. I. Engström
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  3. B. Hägglöf
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  4. A. G. Broberg
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Ekeroth, K., Engström, I., Hägglöf, B. et al. Self-reported competencies and problems among Swedish girls with eating disorders and a control sample, using the Youth Self-Report. Eat Weight Disord 8, 274–281 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325026

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