Adolescence is the most vulnerable period across one's lifespan to develop an Eating Disorder (ED).

Adolescence is also a crucial time for the development of a stable self image and individual identity. Self image disturbances are one of the diagnostic DSM-III-R criteria for E.D.. The present study deals with self image features in adolescent affected by E.D. - anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) - assessed with different instruments.

We studied N. 27 adolescents (25 F, 2 M) affected by ED. We had two subsamples of N. 11 patients (10 F, 1 M) with (BN) and N. 16 patients with AN (15 F, 1 M). Age: range 13 - 21 years; average 16 yrs. All patients fullfil DSM-III-R criteria (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1987) for E.D.. A control group of 12 healthy adolescents matched for sex and age was also examined. The self image has been evaluated with 3 different instruments: 1) OSIQ, The Offer Self Image Questionnaire (Offer, 1982; italian translation, De Vito E., 1985) that assesses 11 notable areas in the adolescents psychological world. 2) BAQ, Ben Tovim Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire (Ben Tovim, 1991) that measures a wide range of female attitudes towards their own body (quantitative analysis). 3) EAT/26, the Eating Attitude Test (Garner e Coll, 1982) that quantifies disordered attitudes towards eating and food.

In the AN group we found lower scores for emotional tone and social relationship than in the BN group, where the self image was more altered in the superior adjustement area (OSIQ). Higher score for body disparegement (BAQ) was the most important finding in the AN group. On the contrary, the bulimic patients were much more worried about their weight gain and their body shape (BAQ). At the EAT-26 that quantifies disordered eating attitudes, the AN subsample had higher score for oral control factor while the BN group had higher scores for dieting and bulimia factors.

The self image disturbance is an essential characteristic of ED patients. Multiple aspects should be investigated, because age may differentially influence cognitive, perceptual, affective and attitudinal components. The employment of these instruments in a diagnostic phase could be useful to quantify the self image disturbance in order to prospect an adequate treatment.

A. Verri, R. E. Nappi, A. Proietti Cecchini, E. Barbieri, M. Cisternino: "Evaluation of the self image in a group of adolescents with eating disorders". Paper presented at the First International Congress of Adolescentology, Assisi, Italy, October 22-24, 1993.

Key Words: Adolescence, Eating Disorders, Self Image.

A. Verri, A. Proietti Cecchini, E. Barbieri: Istituto Neurologico C. Mondino. Centro di Neuropsicologia Clinica e Analisi del Comportamento.

R. E. Nappi:Clinica Ostetrico Ginecologica.

M. Cisternino: Clinica Pediatrica.Università di Pavia.