A Preliminary Study of Negative Self-Beliefs in Anorexia Nervosa: A Detailed Exploration of Their Content, Origins and Functional Links to “Not Eating Enough” and Other Characteristic Behaviors

Woolrich, Rachel A.; Cooper, Myra; Turner, Hannah

doi:10.1007/s10608-006-9024-y

Cited by 15 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Third, our clinical experience with both eating disorder and depressed patients was used to identify potential items. Fourth, we reviewed qualitative data on self-beliefs in those with AN and BN collected routinely and systematically in the course of our previous research in this area (e.g., Cooper, Todd, & Wells, 1998;Somerville & Cooper, 2007;Turner & Cooper, 2002;Woolrich, Cooper, & Turner, 2006). Finally, to identify items likely to be characteristic of depression or depressive symptoms/ negative affect, the personality word list prepared by Anderson (1968) was reviewed.…”

Section: Development Of the Negative Self-belief Questionnairementioning

confidence: 99%

Negative Self-Beliefs in Relation to Eating Disorder and Depressive Symptoms: Different Themes Are Characteristic of the Two Sets of Symptoms in Those With Eating Disorders and/or Depression

Cooper¹,

Cowen²

2009

J Cogn Psychother

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This study aimed to identify differences in the personal themes in negative self or core beliefs that might be characteristic of high levels of eating disorder symptoms when compared to high levels of depressive symptoms in those with an eating disorder and/or depression. Differences between putative diagnostic subgroups were also examined. One hundred and ninety-three participants completed self-report measures of negative self-beliefs, eating, and depressive symptoms. Putative diagnostic subgroups were also identified, including an eating disorder group that also had high levels of depressive symptomatology and in most cases a diagnosis of depression. Six themes descriptive of the self corresponding to 6 robust factors were identified and provisionally labeled isolated, repelled by self, self-dislike, lacking in warmth, childlike, and highly organized. Multiple regression analyses indicated that, in the whole sample, eating disorder symptoms were uniquely predicted by subscales reflective of repelled by self and lacking in warmth, though depressive symptoms were uniquely predicted by subscales measuring isolation and self-dislike. Between-group analyses indicated that high scores on isolation, self-dislike, and lacking in warmth were typical of both eating-disordered and depressed-only diagnostic groups when compared to the control group, though only the eating-disordered group (also high in depressive symptoms and "diagnosis" of depression) also had high scores on repelled by self. The findings indicate that eating disorder and depressive symptoms are associated with some potentially important differences in self-beliefs. Putative diagnostic subgroups may also differ in these beliefs. The findings further indicate that psychometrically sound themes exist in the core or negative self-beliefs associated with eating disorder and depressive symptoms. Implications of the findings for cognitive therapy with eating disorders and depression are briefly considered, and the limitations and implications of the diagnostic subgroups identified here are discussed.

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Section: Development Of the Negative Self-belief Questionnairementioning

confidence: 99%

Negative Self-Beliefs in Relation to Eating Disorder and Depressive Symptoms: Different Themes Are Characteristic of the Two Sets of Symptoms in Those With Eating Disorders and/or Depression

Cooper¹,

Cowen²

2009

J Cogn Psychother

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“…One is that the cognitive model of AN, upon which the treatment is based, remains undeveloped (Jansen, 2001). In particular, our understanding of the specific cognitions and cognitive processes that are involved in the maintenance and development of AN remains relatively limited (Woolrich, Cooper, & Turner, 2006). Another criticism, which applies to many cognitive models of emotional disorders, is that they have focused primarily on the content of cognitions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metacognition in patients with anorexia nervosa, dieting and non‐dieting women: a preliminary study

Woolrich¹,

Cooper²,

Turner³

2007

Euro Eating Disorders Rev

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“…Core beliefs about the self begin to develop at an early age; experiencing negative or even traumatic events promotes dysfunctional beliefs about the self (e.g., "I am helpless", "I am unlovable"; Cooper, Wells, & Todd, 2004). It is not uncommon for those with eating disorders to hold deep-rooted core beliefs that they are powerless, failures, defective, unattractive, worthless, or empty (Woolrich, Cooper, & Turner, 2006). The current study hypothesizes that individuals with high levels of disordered eating adopt avoidant strategies in order to cope with such distressing core beliefs.…”

Section: Cognitive Theory and Eating Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Avoidance may also be triggered in response to distressing core beliefs. Woolrich, Cooper, and Turner (2006) discovered that the majority of those with AN endorse restricting food, pleasing others, and engaging in obsessions in order to cope with negative self-beliefs. A recent cognitive theory of eating disorders (Waller, submitted, as cited in Luck, Waller, Meyer, Ussher, & Lacey, 2005) incorporates the schematic processes that occur when one's core beliefs are triggered.…”

Section: Eating Disorders and Experiential Avoidancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The current study aims to assess the relationships between negative core beliefs, overvaluation of weight and shape, repetitive thinking, and avoidance among those with disordered eating. (Woolrich, Cooper, & Turner, 2006). In order to cope with such uncomfortable beliefs, these individuals tend to avoid making personal connections with the meaning of the belief.…”

Section: Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Avoidance in disordered eating : the roles of overvaluation of weight and shape and repetitive thinking.

Bjerg

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Disordered eating is associated with several negative outcomes and often lead to diagnosable eating disorders. The coping strategies used by those with disordered eating may contribute to such consequences. Past research has found experiential avoidance to be common among those with disordered eating to escape uncomfortable internal experiences. The current study suggested that repetitive thinking and overvaluation of weight and shape are two such mechanisms by which avoidance of negative core beliefs, in particular, is achieved. It was hypothesized that eating disorder symptoms, negative core beliefs, experiential avoidance, overvaluation of weight and shape and repetitive thinking would all be positively and significantly correlated with one another, as measured through Pearson correlation as well as the strength of association in the regression paths via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Further it was hypothesized that the variables as a whole would have significant model fit, indicating that repetitive thought and overvaluation of weight and shape would be two mechanisms by which those with disordered eating avoid negative core beliefs. A total of 344 participants were recruited for this cross-sectional study from offline, online, community, and clinical sites nationwide ; 244 were included in the final vi sample. The majority of this final sample identified as female (84.8%), White (88.1%), are from the US South (63.1%), and were recruited through the community (80.3%). The data were assessed using SEM in order to provide a more reliable measure of assessing how the variables interact as a whole. Results indicated that the study's first hypothesis was met-the variables were all significantly and positively correlated with one another at the p < .001 level. The strength of associations in the regression paths were also positive and significant, with small to large effect sizes. However, the hypothesized model was not a significant fit to the data, and it is possible that the participants' retrospective recall of their repetitive thoughts and the potential omission of a significant moderating variable led to the model not achieving a better fit. Overall, the study possesses significant strengths through its variability in sample (i.e., including clinical and non-clinical as well as female and nonfemale participants) and exploratory examination of how the variables relate to one another. It is recommended that future studies continue to explore these relationships to determine how those with disordered eating cope with their negative core beliefs through avoidance and what interventions can be developed to assist in recovery. vii

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A Preliminary Study of Negative Self-Beliefs in Anorexia Nervosa: A Detailed Exploration of Their Content, Origins and Functional Links to “Not Eating Enough” and Other Characteristic Behaviors

Cited by 15 publications

References 31 publications

Negative Self-Beliefs in Relation to Eating Disorder and Depressive Symptoms: Different Themes Are Characteristic of the Two Sets of Symptoms in Those With Eating Disorders and/or Depression

Negative Self-Beliefs in Relation to Eating Disorder and Depressive Symptoms: Different Themes Are Characteristic of the Two Sets of Symptoms in Those With Eating Disorders and/or Depression

Metacognition in patients with anorexia nervosa, dieting and non‐dieting women: a preliminary study

Avoidance in disordered eating : the roles of overvaluation of weight and shape and repetitive thinking.

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