PERSISTENT PERFECTIONISM, SYMMETRY, AND EXACTNESS AFTER LONG-TERM RECOVERY FROM ANOREXIA-NERVOSA

Objective: It is well recognized that patients with anorexia nervosa h ave perfectionistic and obsessive behaviors. This study investigated w hether such behaviors persist after recovery. Method: Twenty subjects who had recovered for anorexia nervosa were recruited for the study. T hey had at normal weight and their menses had been regular for more th an a year. These subjects were compared with 16 healthy women with the use of the Eating Disorder Inventory, the Frost Multidimensional Perf ectionism Scale, and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Result s: The recovered anorexic patients had significantly higher scores tha n the comparison women on the measures of perfectionism on the Eating Disorder Inventory and on overall perfectionism on the Frost scale. Mo reover, the recovered patients had higher scores on the Yale-Brown sca le, with target symptoms suggesting that many had specific concerns wi th symmetry and exactness. Conclusions: Certain characteristics of ano rexia nervosa, such as a need for order and precision, persist after g ood outcome and recovery, raising the question of whether these behavi ors are traits that contribute to the pathogenesis of this illness.