Perfectionism dimensions in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Castro, Josefina; Gila, Araceli; Gual, Pilar; Lahortiga, Francisca; Saura, Begoña; Toro, Josep

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2003.11.094

Next »Journal of Adolescent Health
Volume 35, Issue 5 , Pages 392-398, November 2004

Perfectionism dimensions in children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa

Josefina Castro, M.D.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer), Hospital Clínic Universitari of Barcelona, Spain, Barcelona, Spain (J.C., A.G., B.S., J.T.)
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Josefina Castro, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clínic, Universitari, Sabino de Arana 1, Barcelona 08028, Spain.
Araceli Gila, Ph.D.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer), Hospital Clínic Universitari of Barcelona, Spain, Barcelona, Spain (J.C., A.G., B.S., J.T.)
Pilar Gual, M.D.
- International University of Catalonia, Catalonia, Spain (P.G.)
Francisca Lahortiga, Ph.D.
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology Clinic, University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain (F.L.)
Begoña Saura, Ph.D.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer), Hospital Clínic Universitari of Barcelona, Spain, Barcelona, Spain (J.C., A.G., B.S., J.T.)
Josep Toro, M.D.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer), Hospital Clínic Universitari of Barcelona, Spain, Barcelona, Spain (J.C., A.G., B.S., J.T.)

Accepted 25 November 2003.

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the dimensions of perfectionism in adolescents with anorexia nervosa in comparison with adolescents from the general population and to validate the Spanish versions of two measures of perfectionism.

Methods

The Child and Adolescents Perfectionism Scale (CAPS), the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale (PSPS) scale, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to a group of 71 anorexia nervosa patients (mean age 15.3 years). Moreover, the CAPS and the PSPS were also administered to 113 adolescents from the general population (mean age 14.6 years). The CAPS and the PSPS were administered again after 1 week in 68 subjects to evaluate test-retest reliability.

Results

Both the CAPS and the PSPS demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha for anorexia nervosa patients = .91; Cronbach alpha for general population = .85) and the two scales of the CAPS also had alpha coefficients in excess of .7. One-week test-retest reliability was also adequate (r = .80). Anorexia nervosa patients had higher mean scores in Self-oriented perfectionism (p < .001) and Perfectionistic self-presentation (p < .001) but not in Socially prescribed perfectionism (p = .292). There were significant correlations among perfectionism and the EAT and the BDI. A percentage of anorexia nervosa patients between 39% and 42% obtained a score higher than the mean in the comparison group plus two standard deviations in Self-oriented perfectionism and Perfectionistics self-presentation.

Conclusions

The Spanish version of the CAPS and the PSPS showed good psychometric properties. A percentage of 40% of adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa show high Self-oriented perfectionism and Perfectionistic self-presentation.

Keywords: Self-oriented perfectionism, Social prescribed perfectionism, Perfectionistic self-presentation, Adolescents, Anorexia nervosa