ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: Worry is a mental process associated with anxiety disorders. The key feature of worry is the predominance of a negative-type and preoccupied thought about possible threatening future events. OBJECTIVE: Some studies have shown that worry may be a feature of eating disorders. This study aims to measure whether worry is significantly higher in eating disordered individuals than in a normal control group and whether worry is associated with the Eating Disorders Inventory. METHODS: Sixty-three individuals affected by an eating disorder (34 anorexics and 29 bulimics) completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM, and the Eating Disorder Inventory. Thirty normal controls completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. RESULTS: Penn State Worry Questionnaire scores were significantly higher in eating disordered individuals than in controls. It was associated with all the symptoms of eating disorders and was correlated with all the EDI subscales, except for the subscale 'bulimia'. These findings suggest that worry is important for understanding the psychopathology of eating disorders.
Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/diagnosis , Feeding and Eating Disorders/diagnosis , Adult , Anorexia Nervosa/diagnosis , Anorexia Nervosa/epidemiology , Anorexia Nervosa/psychology , Anxiety Disorders/epidemiology , Anxiety Disorders/psychology , Bulimia/diagnosis , Bulimia/epidemiology , Bulimia/psychology , Comorbidity , Feeding and Eating Disorders/epidemiology , Feeding and Eating Disorders/psychology , Female , Humans , Italy/epidemiology , Personality Inventory , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Psychometrics , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
It is well known that during intense training and competitions athletes show a remarkable reduction of their immunological responses. As a matter of fact, during these periods athletes very frequently (five to ten times more than average) fall ill. In order to correct this situation, in the USSR immunomodulator drugs are used together with high frequency electromagnetic waves which are applied on the body surface corresponding to the adrenal glands. In this way body desensitisation is accelerated. One hundred high-level athletes received an application of electromagnetic waves on the body surface corresponding to the thyroid gland and thymus, so as to lower glucocorticoid activity and activate lymphoid tissue. Indices of immunologic reactivity and hormonal levels after electromagnetic treatment were measured in all athletes.
