Self-denigratory beliefs following sexual abuse: Association with the symptomatology of bulimic disorders

Reported sexual abuse is associated with bulimic symptomatology. It has been suggested that this association might be due to impaired self-esteem. However, from the evidence to date, it appears that general self-esteem may be too "blunt" a construct, and that more specific psychological mediators need to be considered. This study compares the values of a measure of general self-esteem and a measure of specific self-denigratory beliefs consequent upon sexual abuse in predicting levels of eating psychopathology in eating-disordered women. Self-esteem was associated with the level of general eating attitudes, whereas specific self-denigratory beliefs were associated with the frequency of vomiting. Neither variable adequately predicted the frequency of binging.