Personality trait risk factors for attempted suicide among young women with eating disorders.

OBJECTIVE: - Clinical observations and a review of the literature led us to hypothesize that certain personality and character traits could provide improved understanding, and thus improved prevention, of suicidal behaviour among young women with eating disorders. METHOD: - The clinical group consisted of 152 women aged between 18 and 24 years, with DSM-IV anorexia nervosa/restrictive type (AN-R = 66), anorexia nervosa/purging type (AN-P = 37), bulimia nervosa/non-purging type (BN-NP = 9), or bulimia nervosa/purging type (BN-P = 40). The control group consisted of 140 subjects. The assessment measures were the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-second version (MMPI-2) scales and subscales, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) used to control for current depressive symptoms, plus a specific questionnaire concerning suicide attempts. RESULTS: - Suicide attempts were most frequent in subjects with purging behaviour (30.0% for BN-P and 29.7% for AN-P). Those attempting suicide among subjects with eating disorders were mostly students (67.8%). For women with AN-R the scales for 'Depression' and 'Antisocial practices' represented significant suicidal risk, for women with AN-P the scales for 'Hysteria', 'Psychopathic deviate', 'Shyness/Self-consciousness', 'Antisocial Practices', 'Obsessiveness' and 'Low self-esteem' were risk indicators and for women with BN-P the 'Psychasthenia', 'Anger' and 'Fears' scales were risk indicators. CONCLUSION: - This study provides interesting results concerning the personality traits of young women with both eating disorders and suicidal behaviour. Students and those with purging behaviour are most at risk. Young women should be given more attention with regard to the risk of suicide attempts if they: (a). have AN-R with a tendency to self-punishment and antisocial conduct, (b). have AN-P with multiple physical complaints, are not at ease in social situations and have antisocial behaviour, or (c). if they have BN-P and tend to be easily angered with obsessive behaviour and phobic worries. The MMPI-2 is an interesting assessment method for the study of traits indicating a risk of suicidal behaviour in young subjects, after controlling for current depressive pathology

Physical activity and psychological adjustment in adolescents

Objective: To examine the association between volume and intensity of physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms, anxiety, and body image in a large sample of adolescents in Ottawa and surrounding region. Methods: A total of 1259 (n = 746 girls and n = 513 boys) students responded to surveys on leisure time PA, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and body image. Results: A dose response effect of intensity of PA and psychological distress was observed whereby those who performed greater bouts of vigorous PA exhibited better psychological adjustment than adolescents engaging in mild to moderate intensity activity. Gender impacted the results as vigorous PA was associated with reduced depression but not anxiety in boys, and reduced anxiet

Body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint, depression, and weight status in adolescents

BACKGROUND: Adolescence may be a crucial period for developing obesity and associated mental health problems. This study examined the relationship of weight status on body image, eating behavior, and depressive symptoms in youth. METHODS: A survey was conducted on 1490 youth attending grades 7-12. Participants completed questionnaires on bod

Physical activity and psychological adjustment in adolescents

Objective: To examine the association between volume and intensity of physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms, anxiety, and body image in a large sample of adolescents in Ottawa and surrounding region. Methods: A total of 1259 (n = 746 girls and n = 513 boys) students responded to surveys on leisure time PA, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and body image. Results: A dose response effect of intensity of PA and psychological distress was observed whereby those who performed greater bouts of vigorous PA exhibited better psychological adjustment than adolescents engaging in mild to moderate intensity activity. Gender impacted the results as vigorous PA was associated with reduced depression but not anxiety in boys, and reduced anxiet

Self-silencing and anger regulation as predictors of disordered eating among adolescent females

The main purpose of this study was to examine how self-silencing, emotional regulation, and body-esteem differentiated healthy eating from different patterns of disordered eating. A community sample of adolescent females was classified as either: 1) Restrained Eaters (n=104, Mage=14.48); 2) Emotional Eaters (n=125, Mage=14.52); or, 3) Healthy Eaters (n=396, Mage=13.71). A discriminant function analysis revealed two significant functions. The first function differentiated the two disordered eating groups (i.e., the restrained and emotional eaters) from the healthy group, with the disordered eating groups scoring significantly higher on levels of self-silencing and anger regulation, and lower on body-esteem. The second function differentiated between the restrained and emotional eaters, with the emotional eaters reporting higher levels of externalized self-perception and anger, and lower levels of body-esteem. The results suggest that body-esteem and anger suppression were the most influential variables in differentiating between groups. The finding

Internalization of the thin and muscular body ideal and disordered eating in adolescence: The mediation effects of body esteem

This study investigates body esteem factors (weight-esteem and appearance-esteem) as mediators of the relationship between 'internalization of the ideal body figure' and disordered eating behaviors (restrained, emotional and external eating) in a community sample of adolescent males (n = 810) and females (n = 1137) from the Ontario Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyles (REAL) study. Mediation models were examined using a bootstrapping approach to test indirect effects and indirect contrasts. In males, weight-esteem partially mediated the relationship between muscular ideal and restrained eating; appearance-esteem partially mediate

Screen time is associated with depression and anxiety in Canadian youth

Objective: This study examined the relationships between screen time and symptoms of depression and anxiety in a large community sample of Canadian youth. Method: Participants were 2482 English-speaking grade 7 to 12 students. Cross-sectional data collected between 2006 and 2010 as part of the Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyles (REAL) study were used. Mental health status was assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children-10. Screen time (hours/day of TV, video games, and computer) was assessed using the Leisure-Time Sedentary Activities questionnaire. Results: Linear multiple regressions indicated that after controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, parental education, geographic area, physical activity, and BMI, duration of screen time was associated with severity of depression (β=0.23, p<. 0.001) and anxiety (β=0.07, p<. 0.01). Video game playing (β= 0.13, p<. .001) and computer use (β=0.17, p<. 0.001) but not TV viewing were associated with more severe depressive symptoms. Video game playing (β=0.11, p<. 0.001) was associated with severity of anxiety. Conclusion: Screen time may represent a risk factor or marker of anxiety and depression in adolescents. Future research is needed to determine if reducing screen time aids the prevention and treatment of these psychiatric disorders in youth