Fear of success in anorexic young women

Eating Disorders Inventories (EDI) and Thematic Apperception Tests (TATs) scored for fear of success were compared for 26 normal females enrolled at Harvard University and 45 eating-disordered females (27 bulimic and 18 anorexic) at Massachusetts General Hospital. The relationship between eating disorders and fear of success (FOS) was examined. Analyses revealed statistically significant differences in fear of success among the three groups. The anorexic group scored higher in FOS than both the bulimic group and the control group. The bulimic group did not differ significantly from the control group. These findings may have important clinical implications because fear of success may be evident in young women for whom anorexia nervosa is still in a prodromal phase. Thus, fear of success may be a marker of risk of anorexia nervosa.