Self-liking and self-competence: relationship to symptoms of anorexia nervosa

Eur Eat Disord Rev. 2007 Mar;15(2):139-45. doi: 10.1002/erv.734.

Abstract

Self-esteem has been hypothesised to play a pivotal role in the development and treatment, and outcome of anorexia nervosa (AN). Though this relationship is typically investigated by considering self-esteem as a unitary construct, research suggests that this comprises of two related but distinct components of self-liking and self-competence. This study investigates the association between self-liking, self-competence, and symptomatology of AN through the course of a defined treatment episode in 77 women. Self-liking was significantly associated with laxative abuse. Self-competence was significantly associated with elevated ineffectiveness, perfectionism and interpersonal distrust. Although self-competence and eating disturbance severity significantly improved over the treatment episode, one in three participants reported a reduced self-like or self-competence. Changes in both self-competence and self-liking at the end of treatment was associated with changes in drive for thinness. Such findings have implications for treatment models concerned with improving self-esteem.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anorexia Nervosa / psychology*
  • Anorexia Nervosa / rehabilitation*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • New South Wales
  • Self Concept*
  • Treatment Outcome