Social anxiety and bulimic behaviors: The moderating role of perfectionism

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2010

Abstract

Despite the high rates of co-occurrence between social anxiety and bulimic behaviors, research investigating the mechanisms underlying these associations is lacking. Given that perfectionism is strongly related to both social anxiety and bulimic behaviors, we tested whether individuals with elevated social anxiety and higher perfectionism would evince greater bulimic behaviors in a non-referred sample. Participants with clinically significant social anxiety (n = 89) were compared to a matched control group (n = 89). We also examined specificity by investigating whether perfectionism moderated the relations between social anxiety and drive for thinness or body dissatisfaction. Participants in the high social anxiety group evinced higher bulimic behaviors, body dissatisfaction, and drive for thinness. Yet, perfectionism only moderated the relationship between social anxiety group and bulimic behaviors, such that individuals scoring high on both social anxiety and perfectionism demonstrated the greatest number of bulimic behaviors. Clinical implications are discussed. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Cognitive Therapy and Research

First Page

487

Last Page

492

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