Being bullied and feeling ashamed: Implications for eating psychopathology and depression in adolescent girls. (29th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Duarte, Cristiana; Pinto‐Gouveia, José; Rodrigues, Tânia
• Is Part Of: Journal of adolescence. Volume 44(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 259
• Page End: 268
• Publication Date: 2015-08-29
• Subjects: Peer victimization -- Body shame -- Self‐criticism -- Depressive symptoms -- Eating psychopathology; Adolescent psychiatry -- Periodicals; Adolescent psychology -- Periodicals; Adolescence -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 305.23505
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.08.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-1971

Abstract

Abstract: The current study examined the associations between peer victimization, body image shame, self‐criticism, self‐reassurance, depressive symptoms and eating psychopathology in 609 female adolescents. Correlational analyses showed that being the victim of bullying was positively associated with body image shame, self‐criticism, with low self‐reassurance, depressive symptoms and eating psychopathology. A path analysis indicated that victimization experiences were associated with increased depressive symptoms partially through increased levels of body image shame, and a severe form of self‐criticism – hated self. Body image shame and hated‐self self‐criticism fully mediated the association between victimization experiences eating psychopathology. The tested model accounted for a total of 51% of depressive symptoms variance and for 52% of eating psychopathology variance. These findings may have important intervention and prevention implications, by suggesting that bullying experiences fuel body image shame and consequent self‐directed hostility and anger, which, in turn, predict increased depressive symptomatology and eating psychopathology in female adolescents.