Eating Disorders: A Psychopathology Study

Psychopathology is ‘the study of the origin, development, and manifestations of mental or behavioural disorders’ (Berry, 2011). There are four main components to diagnosing mental illness, or psychopathology, which are social dimension, behavioural dimension and the thought and emotions dimensions (Kowalczyk). All components have an impact on each other and each component has a profound affect on the other. Social issues are influenced by behaviours, behaviours are influenced by thoughts and emotions and emotional issues colour social situations (Kowalczyk). The social dimension regards the individual’s interpersonal connection with the public and others, the behavioural dimension looks at the different actions taken by the individual and

Examples of biological factors include irregular hormone functions and genetics, poor self esteem and negative body images are examples of psychological factors and examples of environmental factors include dysfunctional family dynamics, traumatic experiences and culture among others (Eating Disorder Hope). An individual with an eating disorder may display a number of signs and symptoms, such as chronic dieting, fluctuations in weight, engaging in ritualistic eating patterns, depression and avoidance of social functions(Eating Disorder Hope). While it is clear that the dominant features of eating disorders are preoccupations with food and weight, these disorders often involve much more than food. Persons with eating disorders use their control of food intake as a compensatory mechanism for managing difficult thoughts and emotions. In some of these individuals, the binging, purging and dieting is a way of trying to handle hurtful emotions and to feel in control of their lives (Sewell, Martin and Abel). To date, there is no definitive way of preventing these eating disorders but the likelihood of an individual developing an eating pathology may be reduced by encouraging healthy-eating habits and discouraging dining alone (Sewell, Martin and

Since 1969, a number of operational criteria for anorexia nervosa that emphasize signs and symptoms have been developed. The first such criteria were proposed by Gerald Russell in 1970. Russell emphasised a behavioural disturbance, which he stated leads to a marked loss of body weight, a characteristic psychopathology, which is characterised by a morbid fear of getting ‘fat’ and an endocrine disorder which manifests itself clinically by amenorrhea in females and loss of sexual potency and sexual interest in men. These criteria have evolved into the current DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria (Garfinkel). The DSM-IV criteria for anorexia nervosa looks at; an individual’s refusal to maintain their body weight at or above a normal weight for their age and height, the intense fear of gaining weight, disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self evaluation, or the denial of the severity of low body weight and finally, in postmenarcheal females, amenorrhea (Garfinkel). The objective psychopathology has been termed hysterical, a phobia of weight gain, an obsession, or even a delusion