Kairova M.T. 1
Petanova E.I. 2
1 Medical Psychology Center for weight correction «Dr. Bormental.» St. Petersburg
2 St. Petersburg State University
The persistent problem of overweight and eating disorders demand the search for new correctional approaches and technologies. This work reflects the empirical study of the dynamics of personal characteristics of women with different types of eating disorders under psycho-correctional influence. In order to rationalize eating behaviors we developed a correctional program that includes nutritional education and guidelines for women to modify their personal characteristics associated with different types of eating disorders. We observed the effect of the program on women with different types of eating disorders. For instance, women with the emotional type of eating disorders showed lower levels of the following: alexithymia, defense mechanism «substitution», and coping strategy «accepting responsibility». We also observed increased internality in achievement, family relationships, and interpersonal relationships. Women with external type of eating disorder were less likely to use defense mechanism «regression», coping strategy «confrontation». They showed increased internality in achievement as well as lower levels of anxiety and aggression. Women with mixed types of eating disorders showed higher internality in family relationships, lower levels of aggressiveness and such defense mechanisms as «repression» and «substitution».