Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Διασυνδετική Ψυχιατρική και Απαρτιωμένη Φροντίδα Σωματικής και Ψυχικής ΥγείαςLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Oikonomou Anna-Filia
Supervisors info:
Μιχόπουλος Ιωάννης, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπων
Γονιδάκης Φραγκίσκος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Μουρίκης Ηρακλής, ΕΔΙΠ, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Θεωρία του νου στην ψυχογενή ανορεξία
Translated title:
Theory of mind in anorexia nervosa
Summary:
Introduction: The "Theory of Mind" and its applications have attracted the interest of many researchers in recent years. The reduced social interaction and consequent difficulty in social settings experienced by individuals with Anorexia Nervosa served as a stimulus for studying the dimensions of the Theory of Mind in this disorder. The main aim of this research was firstly to explore, detect, and evaluate potential deficits in Theory of Mind in Anorexia Nervosa compared to the general population, and secondarily to understand the difficulties for developing better therapeutic interventions.
Methodology: This study involved 30 diagnosed cases of Anorexia Nervosa from the Eating Disorders Clinics of Attikon and Eginiteio Hospital and 30 individuals from the general population. The questionnaire used to assess the Eating Disorder was the "Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire" (EDE-Q-6.0). The tests administered to detect deficits in Theory of Mind were the "False Belief Task," the "Hinting Task," and the "Faux Pas" task. Differences in Theory of Mind tasks between the two groups were evaluated through independent samples comparisons, while multiple linear regression was conducted to assess the impact of other factors in Anorexia Nervosa diagnosis.
Results: The results showed statistically significant differences between the two groups in all Theory of Mind tasks and subcategories. Regarding the severity of the disorder, the study group was categorized into two severity groups (mild and severe), and an independent samples t-test was conducted, finding no statistically significant difference between mild and severe severity. The results of linear regression showed that low scores on "False Belief Task" and "Hinting Task", as well as low BMI, were predictors of the disorder.
Discussion: The results were in line with theoretical and empirical findings prevalent in the literature regarding deficits in Theory of Mind in individuals with Anorexia Nervosa compared to the general population. Significant interest for further study is the fact that the severity of the disorder is not related to the detection of more deficits, the interpretation of which is summarized in the existence of an endophenotype that predates and follows the diagnosis.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Theory of mind, Anorexia nervosa
