Adolescents’ perceptions of the quality of interpersonal relationships and eating disorder symptom severity: The mediating role of low self-esteem and negative mood

Abstract

Few studies have examined how the perceived quality of multiple interpersonal relationships is related to eating disorder (ED) symptom severity in adolescents and how psychological variables might influence these associations. The aim of this study is to determine whether the perceived level of trust, communication, and alienation in the relationship with one's mother, father, and peers are predictive of ED severity in adolescent females and to test the mediating effects of low self-esteem and negative mood on these associations. Adolescent females aged 12 to 18 (N = 186) with a diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa (Restrictive; AN-R or Binge/Purge; AN-B/P) completed self-report measures evaluating the perceived quality of interpersonal relationships, ED symptom severity, low self-esteem, and negative mood. Multiple regressions revealed that the level of perceived alienation in the relationship with one's mother and peers was positively associated with ED symptom severity. Low self-esteem and negative mood acted as mediators of these associations. Considering that a high level of perceived alienation in the relationship with one's mother and peers appears to be associated with more severe ED symptoms through its impact on self-esteem and mood, improvements in the quality of these interactions are likely to be an effective target of intervention among adolescents.

Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance, Self-Esteem and Symptoms of Body-Dysmorphic Disorders among Young Adults

“…However, Bohne et al [19] were unable to confirm such a pattern, and our own findings are more consistent with those of these latter authors. While we have no direct evidence regarding underlying cognitive-emotional processes, we believe that the present pattern of results has parallels with relations observed between self-esteem and eating-disordered behavior: While it seems plausible that eating disorders would be related to low self-esteem, the evidence for such a relation is quite inconsistent; some studies have reported a positive association, some a negative association, and some have found no association between eating disorders and self-esteem [20,21,22,23,24].…”

“…In contrast, Bohne et al [19] were unable to find differences in self-esteem between healthy controls and individuals with body dysmorphic disorders. A similarly inconsistent pattern has emerged from investigations of the links between self-esteem and eating-disordered behavior [20], with some studies finding an association between low self-esteem and eating-disordered behavior [21,22,23] and others not [20,24]. Some studies have even reported higher scores for self-esteem to be associated with eating-disordered behavior [25,26,27].…”

Assessment of Family Functioning and Eating Disorders – The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem

“…Dissatisfaction or self-doubt can be a manifestation of a negative perception of oneself, thus constituting a high-risk factor of an unhealthy weight loss or the development and persistence of an ED (Noordenbos et al, 2014). Pelletier Brochu et al (2018) report that low self-esteem and negative mood act as mediators of the level of perceived alienation in the relationship with an individual’s mother and ED symptom severity. The contrary situation is observed among individuals with a higher level of self-worth who tend to adopt a more positive attitude to events from the past and perceive the future as having a possibility for success, including overcoming an ED (Garcia et al, 2017).…”

“…While hypotheses 3 and 4 are useful with a potential meaningful contribution to the literature, as only a few studies have analyzed how the perceived interpersonal relationships are related to EDs through the co-occurrence of other psychological variables (Pelletier Brochu et al, 2018), hypotheses 1 and 2 are very well-known already. However, the selection of self-esteem and FF as differentiating variables between the study and control groups (to verify 1st and 2nd hypotheses) was based on the transdiagnostic theory of EDs, in which it is assumed that a dysfunctional evaluation of self-worth and interpersonal problems are crucial in all types of EDs (de Jong et al, 2018).…”

Self-Esteem and Symptoms of Eating-Disordered Behavior Among Female Adolescents

“…As regards the association between self-esteem and restricted calorie intake understood as eating-disordered behavior, findings are conflicting. Pelletier Brochu et al. (2018) assessed 186 adolescent females aged 12 to 18 years and diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa (AN).…”