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Screening for abnormal eating attitudes and psychiatric morbidity in an unselected population of 15-year-old schoolgirls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

A. H. Mann ,
A. Wakeling ,
K. Wood ,
E. Monck ,
R. Dobbs  and
G. Szmukler
A. H. Mann*
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London; Academic Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street, London, Institute of Psychiatry, London
A. Wakeling
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London; Academic Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street, London, Institute of Psychiatry, London
K. Wood
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London; Academic Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street, London, Institute of Psychiatry, London
E. Monck
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London; Academic Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street, London, Institute of Psychiatry, London
R. Dobbs
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London; Academic Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street, London, Institute of Psychiatry, London
G. Szmukler
Affiliation:
Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London; Academic Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street, London, Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr A. H. Mann, Academic Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG.
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Synopsis

The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) have been validated in an unselected population of 15-year-old South London schoolgirls. Scores on the questionnaires were compared with the results of standard interview. The EAT was found to be an efficient screening instrument for abnormal eating attitudes and behaviour, whereas the GHQ was less satisfactory in its ability to screen for psychiatric morbidity in this age group than in adults. At the optimal cutting points, 6·9% of this population gave a positive response to the EAT and 19·3% gave a positive response to the GHQ. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the two sets of scores

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , August 1983 , pp. 573 - 580
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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