Why Do People Engage in Eating Disorder Behaviours?

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental illnesses often with poor prognosis. Personalizing evidence-based treatments based on an individual’s reasons for engaging in ED behaviours – or the functions of EDs – may improve treatment outcomes; however, no validated measures assessing these functions exist. The goal of this study was to complete the initial steps in developing a measure of ED functions. Individuals who engage in ED behaviours (n = 16) and clinicians who treat EDs (n = 14) were interviewed, and a thematic analysis was conducted to determine key functions of EDs. Four main functions of EDs were identified: 1) alleviating shape, weight, and eating concerns, 2) regulating emotions, 3) regulating one’s self-concept/ maladaptive schemas, and 4) regulating interpersonal relationships/ communicating with others. Self-report items were developed based on these themes to create a 102-item measure of ED functions that will be further developed and validated in future research.

Name thesis:degree_name

M Sc

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Western Ontario

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Kinnear, Abbigail

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Bodell, Lindsay P.

• Eating disorders
• functions
• reasons
• binge eating
• restricting
• purging

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/31191

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/31191