Clinical and personality characteristics of adolescents with anorexia nervosa with or without non-suicidal self-injurious behavior

Compr Psychiatry. 2019 Oct:94:152115. doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2019.152115. Epub 2019 Aug 7.

Abstract

Purpose: About one-fifth of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). This study examined clinical and temperament profile of female adolescents with both disorders (AN+NSSI) as compared with peers with AN only.

Methods: A consecutive sample of 73 female adolescents with AN (mean age: 13.77 years), who had been admitted to inpatient or day-hospital services, received clinical, cognitive, and temperament/character evaluations. Of them, 32 met DSM-5 criteria also for NSSI. Assessments included demographics, standard nutrition parameters, Youth Self-Report (YSR), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV (WISC-IV), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF).

Results: No differences were detected between AN+NSSI and AN in demographics, body mass index, or age at onset of AN. AN+NSSI had higher rate of binging and purging, higher YSR scores for both internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, lower total IQ, and lower Self-directedness and Cooperativeness scores.

Conclusions: These data suggest that adolescents with AN+NSSI have psychopathological, cognitive and overall character features that differ from patients with AN only. These characteristics may have implications for treatment and outcome.

Keywords: Adolescents; Anorexia nervosa; Intelligence; Non-suicidal self-injury; Temperament.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anorexia Nervosa / psychology*
  • Body Mass Index
  • Character*
  • Child
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Psychopathology
  • Self Report
  • Self-Injurious Behavior / psychology*
  • Temperament