[Development of a questionnaire for body weight associated anxiety in anorexia nervosa]

Anxiety plays a comprehensive role in the psychopathology of anorexic patients and the long-term course of the disorder. Despite the importance of the major symptoms: weight phobia, there has been no systematic documentation to date of therapeutically and prognostically meaningful weight-associated fears. Given the use of a preventative approach in the early diagnosis of specific anxiety symptoms. We developed a questionnaire (Anorexia Anxiety Scale, AAS) based on a survey of 372 girls attending different types of secondary schools and a sample of 26 former patients. The number of items was reduced from 32 to 8 by means of a factor analysis. Upon further validation, the questionnaire should then be applicable for use as a screening instrument.