Article

Puberty, sexual development and eating disorders in adolescent outpatients.

Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Box 607, 33101 Tampere, Finland.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (impact factor: 2.82). 11/2003; 12(5):214-20.
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT This study examined puberty and psychosexual state in a clinical sample of adolescents attending for assessment because of eating disorders (ED). A total of 57 adolescents (girls) aged 14-21 years (mean age 16.9 years) having either anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN) were studied by semi-structured interviews and structured self-report questionnaires considering the timing of menarche, dating and attitudes to sexuality. The age at menarche did not differ statistically significantly between AN and BN. It was significantly lower in the BN group than in the normal population, but no statistically significant difference was found between the AN group and normal population. The general attitudes to sexuality were more negative in the AN group than in the BN group. In the AN group, there were also fewer dating experiences and interest in dating than in the BN group. After controlling for the effect of age, age at menarche and duration of ED, negative attitudes to sexuality and no dating experiences were still best predicted by AN. The results suggest different ways of coping with the developmental challenges in sexuality in AN and BN during adolescence.

0 0
 · 
0 Bookmarks
 · 
28 Views
  • Source
    Article: Psychopathological distress predicts suicidal ideation and self-harm in adolescent eating disorder outpatients.
    Jaana Ruuska, Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino, Päivi Rantanen, Anna-Maija Koivisto
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: This study evaluated the differences in suicidal behaviour between adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), and the association of age, menarche timing, duration of eating disorder (ED), depression and general psychopathological symptoms (GSI) with suicidal behaviour in adolescent ED. The study group comprised 57 adolescent outpatients (girls) attending for assessment because of eating disorders. Suicidal ideation, deliberate self-harm and suicidal attempts were assessed in self-report questionnaires. In both ED groups, one adolescent had attempted suicide before assessment. Suicidal ideation and/or deliberate self-harm were reported in over half of the cases. Bulimics had significantly more suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harm than anorectics. In multivariate analysis, BN and depression predicted suicidal ideation, but only GSI persisted as predicting deliberate self-harm. Suicidal behaviour is common in adolescent ED. Type of ED (BN), depression and higher GSI are strongly associated with suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harm. Our results point to the need to evaluate psychopathological symptoms in adolescent ED, especially in BN, in the initial assessment to prevent severe suicidal behaviour.
    European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 09/2005; 14(5):276-81. · 2.82 Impact Factor
  • Article: Detrimental Psychological Outcomes Associated with Early Pubertal Timing in Adolescent Girls.
    Jane Mendle, Eric Turkheimer, Robert E Emery
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Though often discussed as though it were a discrete event, puberty comprises one segment of a larger developmental continuum and is notable for rapid transformation across a multitude of domains. Research suggests that an earlier rate of pubertal maturation in girls correlates with a number of detrimental outcomes compared with on-time or later maturation. The present review synthesizes the research on negative psychological sequelae of early pubertal timing in adolescent girls. Emphasis is on three theoretical perspectives by which precocious development is believed to affect the emergence of adverse outcomes: biological, psychosocial, and selection effects.
    Developmental Review 06/2007; 27(2):151-171. · 3.23 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

57 adolescents
 
adolescence
 
anorexia nervosa
 
attitudes
 
BN group
 
bulimia nervosa
 
clinical sample
 
developmental challenges
 
different ways
 
disorders
 
general attitudes
 
girls
 
menarche
 
negative attitudes
 
normal population
 
psychosexual state
 
puberty
 
self-report questionnaires
 
semi-structured interviews
 
statistically significant difference