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Exploring the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Bulimic Symptoms: Mediational Effects of Perfectionism among Females
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Exploring the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Bulimic Symptoms: Mediational Effects of Perfectionism among Females

Andrew R. Menatti, Justin W. Weeks, Cheri A. Levinson, Maggie M. McGowan and Maggie M Davis
Cognitive therapy and research, Vol.37(5), pp.914-922
10/01/2013
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-013-9521-8
PMCID: PMC4053192
PMID: 24932054
Web of Science ID: WOS:000324817600004

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Abstract

Previous findings indicate that social anxiety and bulimia co-occur at high rates; one mechanism that has been proposed to link these symptom clusters is perfectionism (Silgado et al. in Cogn Ther Res 34(5):487-492, 2010). We tested meditational models among 167 female undergraduates in which maladaptive evaluative perfectionism concerns (MEPC; i.e., critical self-evaluative perfectionism) mediated the relationship between social anxiety and bulimic symptoms. Results from a first model indicated that MEPC mediated the relationship between fear of public scrutiny and bulimia symptoms. This indirect effect was significant above and beyond the indirect effects of maladaptive body-image cognitions and perfectionism specific to pure personal standards. A second model was tested with MEPC mediating the relationship between social interaction anxiety and bulimia symptoms. Similar results were obtained; however, in this model, a significant direct effect remained after partialing out the indirect effect of the mediators. Theoretical implications are discussed.

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