| Abstract [eng] |
The link between traumatic experiences in childhood and eating disorders is widely studied, but the mechanisms that explain this link are still unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the links between traumatic experiences in childhood, personality functioning and the symptoms of eating disorders in young adulthood and to evaluate the mediating role of personality functioning in the relationship between the symptoms of eating disorders and childhood traumatic experiences. The study involved 288 young adults between the ages of 18 and 30: 241 women and 45 men. The research participants were selected by convenience sampling. A correlational study was conducted. Instruments used in this study: Eating Disorder Examinaton Questonnaire, Adverse Childhood Experiences Questonnaire and The Level of Personality Functoning Scale. Results indicated that childhood traumatic experiences, personality functioning, and the symptoms of eating disorders were interrelated in a sample of young adults. Personality functioning fully mediated the association between traumatic experiences in childhood and the symptoms of eating disorders: greater childhood traumatic experiences predicted greater impairment in personality functioning, which in turn predicted more symptoms of eating disorders among young adults. |
