Self-criticism, perfectionism and eating disorders: The effect of depression and body dissatisfaction

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed at examining a model for eating disorders features’ severity that included the association between self-criticism and perfectionistic self-presentation, mediated by depressive symptoms and body image dissatisfaction. Method: A path analysis testing for a mediational model was conducted in a sample of 191 participants, including 94 women from the general population and 97 female patients diagnosed with eating disorders. All participants answered a semi-structured interview (EDE 16.0D) and a set of self-report instruments assessing the study variables. Results: The study findings indicated that the path model explained 43% of body image dissatisfaction variance, and 52% of depressive symptoms variance, and accounted for a total of 64% of the variance of eating disorders’ symptoms severity. Results showed that perfectionistic self-presentation and self-criticism were moderately associated. Body image dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms fully mediated the relationship between perfectionistic self-presentation and eating psychopathology severity. Self-criticism, in turn, predicted eating disorders symptoms’ severity partially through the mediators’ effect. Conclusions: These results clarify the role of perfectionistic self-presentation and self-criticism, as well as the paths through which they operate in eating psychopathology. These mechanisms should be taken into full consideration in the conceptualization and clinical practice with patients with eating disorders.