Correlation study on personality traits of patients with anorexia nervosa

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8115.2021.12.015

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives

·To investigate the personality traits of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), and compare the differences of personality traits among different subtypes of AN.

Methods

·A total of 164 patients with AN treated in the Clinical Psychosomatic Ward and Psychological Counseling Clinic of Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from July 2013 to July 2018 were selected and 124 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. According to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition), AN was divided into restricting type AN (AN-R), binge-purging type AN (AN-BP) and atypical AN. In AN group, 76 cases were AN-R, 81 cases were AN-BP, and 7 cases were atypical AN. The severity of pathological psychological symptoms of AN patients was evaluated by Eating Disorder Examination-questionnaire (EDE-Q 6.0), and the personality traits of perfectionism, impulsivity and self-esteem of AN patients were evaluated by Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Psychological Scale (FMPS), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11th Version (BIS-11) and Self-esteem Scale (SES). Independent sample t test and variance analysis were used to compare the differences between AN-R group and AN-BP group and differences between the AN group and HC group, and correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between personality traits and AN clinical symptom.

Results

·The total FMPS score of the AN group was significantly higher than that of the HC group (P=0.044), and the total score of SES was significantly lower than that of the HC group (P=0.000). The total score of FMPS, non-adaptive dimension score, BIS-11 total score, attentional impulse score, motor impulse score, and unplanned impulse score in the AN-BP group were significantly higher than those in the AN-R group (all P<0.05). Compared with the AN-R group, AN-BP group had significantly lower organization (adaptive dimension) score and SES total score (all P<0.05). The severity of clinical symptoms of AN (EDE-Q 6.0 total score and subscale scores) was positively correlated with perfectionism (FMPS total score) and impulsivity (BIS-11 total score), and negatively correlated with self-esteem (SES total score) (all P=0.000).

Conclusion

·Patients with AN have perfectionism and low self-esteem. The patients with AN-BP have more perfectionism, high impulsivity and low self-esteem, while the patients with AN-R show low impulsivity.

Key words: anorexia nervosa (AN), personality trait, perfectionism, impulsivity, self-esteem

CLC Number:

R749.92

Han CHEN, Jing ZHANG, Xiao-ping LI, Hui-qin HAN, Meng-ting WU, Yan CHEN, Qing KANG, Wen-yan XU, Jue CHEN. Correlation study on personality traits of patients with anorexia nervosa[J]. JOURNAL OF SHANGHAI JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY (MEDICAL SCIENCE), 2021, 41(12): 1650-1655.

Figures/Tables 4

TrendMD

References 28

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Item	AN group （n=164）	AN-R group （n=76）	AN-BP group （n=81）	HC group （n=124）	P value
Item	AN group （n=164）	AN-R group （n=76）	AN-BP group （n=81）	HC group （n=124）	AN group vs HC group	AN-R group vs AN-BP group
Age/year	18.18±4.45	16.40±3.22	19.94±4.89	19.07±3.13	0.064	0.000
Education/year	11.47±3.37	10.16±3.12	12.74±3.19	12.09±2.79	0.103	0.000
Height/m	1.62±0.05	1.62±0.55	1.62±0.05	1.62±0.16	0.844	0.972
Body mass/kg	40.26±6.60	37.99±6.86	42.73±5.46	52.83±7.35	0.000	0.000
BMI/（kg·m^-2）	15.27±2.22	14.40±2.26	16.22±1.78	19.76±2.41	0.000	0.000
EDE-Q 6.0/score	2.17±1.53	1.53±1.24	2.84±1.48	1.19±1.04	0.000	0.000
Restraint/score	1.83±1.70	1.34±1.46	2.37±1.78	0.81±1.03	0.000	0.000
Eating concern/score	2.19±1.72	1.29±1.30	3.15±1.59	0.72±0.96	0.000	0.000
Weight concern/score	2.14±1.69	1.59±1.31	2.80±1.78	1.41±1.29	0.000	0.000
Shape concern/score	2.52±1.69	1.96±1.49	3.18±1.64	1.80±1.45	0.000	0.000

Item	AN group （n=164）	AN-R group （n=76）	AN-BP group （n=81）	HC group （n=124）	P value
Item	AN group （n=164）	AN-R group （n=76）	AN-BP group （n=81）	HC group （n=124）	AN group vs HC group	AN-R group vs AN-BP group
Age/year	18.18±4.45	16.40±3.22	19.94±4.89	19.07±3.13	0.064	0.000
Education/year	11.47±3.37	10.16±3.12	12.74±3.19	12.09±2.79	0.103	0.000
Height/m	1.62±0.05	1.62±0.55	1.62±0.05	1.62±0.16	0.844	0.972
Body mass/kg	40.26±6.60	37.99±6.86	42.73±5.46	52.83±7.35	0.000	0.000
BMI/（kg·m^-2）	15.27±2.22	14.40±2.26	16.22±1.78	19.76±2.41	0.000	0.000
EDE-Q 6.0/score	2.17±1.53	1.53±1.24	2.84±1.48	1.19±1.04	0.000	0.000
Restraint/score	1.83±1.70	1.34±1.46	2.37±1.78	0.81±1.03	0.000	0.000
Eating concern/score	2.19±1.72	1.29±1.30	3.15±1.59	0.72±0.96	0.000	0.000
Weight concern/score	2.14±1.69	1.59±1.31	2.80±1.78	1.41±1.29	0.000	0.000
Shape concern/score	2.52±1.69	1.96±1.49	3.18±1.64	1.80±1.45	0.000	0.000

Item	AN group （n=164）	HC group （n=124）	P value
FMPS/score	107.22±24.13	101.84±16.89	0.044
Maladaptive dimension/score	84.58±23.23	80.03±15.76	0.072
Concern over mistakes/score	25.36±9.18	22.46±6.61	0.004
Doubts about actions/score	12.52±4.00	12.20±3.02	0.474
Personal standards/score	22.42±6.08	21.62±4.28	0.226
Parental expectations/score	13.29±4.57	13.82±3.87	0.321
Parental criticism/score	10.63±3.81	9.92±3.10	0.109
Adaptive dimension （organization）/score	22.35±4.76	21.81±3.93	0.337
BIS-11/score	54.73±9.47	56.27±7.82	0.165
Attentional impulsiveness/score	13.13±3.94	13.36±2.38	0.557
Motor impulsiveness/score	17.63±3.70	19.01±3.26	0.002
Nonplanning impulsiveness/score	23.80±4.64	23.85±4.30	0.934
SES/score	27.05±6.44	29.28±4.25	0.002

Item	AN group （n=164）	HC group （n=124）	P value
FMPS/score	107.22±24.13	101.84±16.89	0.044
Maladaptive dimension/score	84.58±23.23	80.03±15.76	0.072
Concern over mistakes/score	25.36±9.18	22.46±6.61	0.004
Doubts about actions/score	12.52±4.00	12.20±3.02	0.474
Personal standards/score	22.42±6.08	21.62±4.28	0.226
Parental expectations/score	13.29±4.57	13.82±3.87	0.321
Parental criticism/score	10.63±3.81	9.92±3.10	0.109
Adaptive dimension （organization）/score	22.35±4.76	21.81±3.93	0.337
BIS-11/score	54.73±9.47	56.27±7.82	0.165
Attentional impulsiveness/score	13.13±3.94	13.36±2.38	0.557
Motor impulsiveness/score	17.63±3.70	19.01±3.26	0.002
Nonplanning impulsiveness/score	23.80±4.64	23.85±4.30	0.934
SES/score	27.05±6.44	29.28±4.25	0.002

Item	AN-R group （n=76）	AN-BP group （n=81）	HC group （n=124）	F value	P value	P value
Item	AN-R group （n=76）	AN-BP group （n=81）	HC group （n=124）	F value	P value	AN-R group vs AN-BP group	AN-R group vs HC group	AN-BP group vs HC group
FMPS/score	103.19±22.36	113.46±23.76	101.84±16.89	6.685	0.002	0.000	0.668	0.006
Maladaptive dimension/score	79.84±21.69	91.91±22.00	80.03±15.76	8.526	0.000	0.001	0.951	0.000
Concern over mistakes/score	23.03±8.93	28.56±8.30	22.46±6.61	13.176	0.000	0.000	0.631	0.000
Doubts about actions/score	11.58±3.67	13.87±3.83	12.20±3.02	7.639	0.001	0.000	0.233	0.002
Personal standards/score	22.32±5.51	23.10±6.20	21.62±4.28	1.680	0.189	-	-	-
Parental expectations/score	12.94±4.42	13.88±4.68	13.82±3.87	1.100	0.335	-	-	-
Parental criticism/score	9.67±3.62	11.85±3.69	9.92±3.10	8.086	0.000	0.000	0.633	0.000
Adaptive dimension （organization）/score	23.33±3.92	21.70±5.22	21.81±3.93	3.194	0.043	0.033	0.022	0.872
BIS-11/score	49.91±8.02	59.57±8.45	56.27±7.82	24.928	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.008
Attentional impulsiveness/score	11.61±2.80	14.64±4.36	13.36±2.38	16.055	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.007
Motor impulsiveness/score	16.33±3.36	18.97±3.52	19.01±3.26	15.541	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.943
Nonplanning impulsiveness/score	21.87±4.33	25.65±4.21	23.85±4.30	13.265	0.000	0.000	0.003	0.006
SES/score	29.12±6.03	24.78±5.93	29.28±4.25	15.375	0.000	0.000	0.845	0.000