Personalidade e coping em pacientes com transtornos alimentares e obesidade / Personality and coping in patients with eating disorders and obesity

RESUMO

Este estudo avalia o uso diferencial de coping e traço de personalidade em pacientes com transtornos alimentares (anorexia, bulimia e TASOE) e com obesidade e em população geral. Participam deste estudo 109 indivíduos (60 com diagnóstico de transtorno alimentar ou obesidade e 49 da população geral). Os instrumentos foram uma escala de traços de personalidade, Coping Response Inventory e Escala de Atitudes Alimentares (EAT). Observou-se diferença significativa nas médias de EAT por população demonstrando boa adequação deste instrumento como screening psicopatológico de transtornos alimentares. Ademais indivíduos que apresentam alto índice em neuroticismo e em descarga emocional, ao enfrentar seus problemas, possuem mais atitudes alimentares inadequadas refletidas pelo EAT (R=0.291, p=0.011). Os dados são discutidos através das teorias relacionadas aos cinco grandes traços da personalidade, coping, transtornos alimentares e obesidade.

ABSTRACT

This study assesses the differential use of coping and personality trait of patients with eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, and Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified - EDNOS), obesity as well as in subjects from the general population. 109 subjects participated in the study (60 with eating disorder or obesity diagnostics; 49 from the general population). The instruments were Personality Trait Scale, Coping Response Inventory and Eating Attitudes Scale (EAS). It was observed significant differences on EAS according to the type of population, demonstrating this instrument's adequacy as psychopathological screening for eating disorders. Moreover, individuals presenting high neuroticism and who discharge their emotion to cope with their problems have more inadequate eating attitudes as shown by EAS (R=0.291, p=0.011). These results are discussed through theories related to the Big Five personality traits, coping, eating disorders and obesity.