Psychiatria Danubina, Vol. 25 No. 4, 2013.
Original scientific paper
COMPARATIVE STRUCTURAL STUDY OF THE CONFIGURATION OF COPING STRATEGIES AMONG FEMALE PATIENTS WITH EATING DISORDERS AND A NON-CLINICAL CONTROL GROUP
Anna Brytek-Matera
; University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Campus in Katowice, Poland
Lony Schiltz
; Laboratory of Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology and Art Therapies, Foundation François-Elisabeth, Luxembourg
Abstract
Background: The aim of this research was to assess the relationship between coping mechanisms and eating disorders as well as
to determine coping strategies as predictors of eating disorders pathology.
Subjects and methods: Participants included 52 females meeting the DSM-IV criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa
and 55 university students. Assessment tools were the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Scale and the Stress
Coping Questionnaire.
Results: Eating disorders were positively related to substance use, substitute gratification, avoidance, aggression, and drug use.
Additionally, significant negative correlations were found between eating disorders and relaxation, planning, using instrumental
support, acceptance as well as venting. The regression analysis revealed that eating disorders were positively associated with coping
strategies focused on substance use and religion, and negatively associated with using emotional support, positive self-instructions
and positive reframing. The non linear principal components analysis allowed for exploring similarities and differences in the latent
structure of the configuration of coping strategies between the clinical group and the control group.
Conclusions: Since women with anorexia and bulimia nervosa apply emotion-focused coping strategies to manage their stress,
psychotherapeutic intervention with these patients should focus on changing inappropriate coping mechanisms.
Keywords
eating disorders - coping strategies – stress - optimal scaling
Hrčak ID:
162108
URI
Publication date:
16.12.2013.
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