Reports of stress: a comparison between eating disordered and non-eating disordered adolescents

This study utilizes a unique method to examine reports of stressful life events provided by eating disordered and non-eating disordered adolescents. Subjects (all females) participated in a standardized procedure to obtain reports of stressful life events. The Life Events and Coping Inventory (LECI) was used to categorize reported stressors. Eating disorder subjects discussed more stressors than non-eating disorder subjects only when eating disorder events were included. Furthermore, eating disorder subjects reported more events that could not be classified within the LECI and were rated as non-normative. The findings point to the importance of qualitative rather than purely quantitative approaches to stressful life events assessment with adolescents.