Perfectionism and eating disorder symptoms in adolescents and young adults: the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies

Eating disturbances, either clinical or subclinical, are highly prevalent in western countries (Makino, Tsuboi, & Dennerstein, 2004) and their prevalence have been increasing in the last 50 years, especially among adolescents. Full blown eating disorders are severe conditions that are very difficult to treat (Treasure, Cardi, Leppanen, & Turton, 2015). The scientific and clinical understanding of these disorders has been progressing slowly, but we know several risk factors. Individuals with disturbed eating attitudes and behaviours typically report problematic perfectionistic standards and intense evaluative concerns, as well as maladaptive emotional processes. The present dissertation aims to examine the associations between perfectionistic aspects, emotion regulation strategies and disturbed eating in two samples representative of two distinct developmental ages. In the first chapter, the construct of perfectionism and its clinical relevance were described and discussed by summarizing studies in scientific literature focused on the conceptualization, measurement and psychological implications of the construct. In the second chapter, theoretical models assessing the relationship between perfectionistic dimensions and eating symptoms were discussed. In the third chapter, principal theories on emotion regulation strategies were explained and results of a cross-sectional investigation examining the specific relationships among perfectionistic facets, emotion regulation strategies and eating symptoms reported by two samples of adolescents and young adults were observed. In particular, the mediation role of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation in explaining the associations between perfectionistic dimensions and eating pathology was examined. Finally, in the fourth chapter, results obtained from the study conducted were discussed.