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PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA: SELF-ESTEEM, STRATEGIES OF COPING AND FEELING OF ANGER
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Psychoter 2006;136(1):25-38
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ABSTRACT
Aim. The aim of this study is to evaluate self-esteem, coping strategies and feeling of anger in populations with anorexia nervosa. Method. Thirty adolescents with anorexia nervosa treated in the Erickson Institute of Ka-towice and the Psychiatric Depattifient of the Hospital of Sosnowiec (all recently hospitalised) were investigated. The control group consisted of 60 students of the University of Silesia. All the participants filled in an anonymous questionnaire form concerning family life, state of health and course of illness, the Self Esteem Inventory by Coopersmith (1984), the Brief COPE by Carver (1997) and the Self Expression Control Scale by Van Elderen et al. (1997). Results. Anorectic adolescents show low familial, professional and general self-esteem. They can be described as making more use of seeking social support for instrumental reasons, seeking social support for emotional reasons, disengagement and denial as their coping strategies and usually they do not turn to religion. Anorexics conceptualise their anger against themselves (the interiorisation of anger). Conclusions. In the process of therapy we should take into consideration the large role of low self-esteem (especially in the family aspect), using of anger-in and less adaptive strategies of coping.