A Psychological “Sense-of-Control” Profile of Patients with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa

To investigate control and self-control issues for patients with eating disorders, 10 individuals diagnosed with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa were compared to two sex-matched groups of 9 and 50 adults on the Shapiro Control Inventory. Analysis of variance and subsequent planned comparisons showed significant differences indicative of pathology between the eating-disordered group and one or both comparison groups on the general domain sense of control scale and the positive sense of control scale. Three of the four mode scales and the domain-specific sense of control scale were also in the expected direction. Several clinically relevant individual items also supported this trend. The discussion notes the clinical importance of refining how control is measured for eating-disordered populations.