How you doin'? Differences in Psychological Well-being Between Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorder Patients
Good health is more than just the absence of illness; it is more than just the absence of dysfunction. Good health — that is, mental, social, and physical health — requires the presence of wellness, or the ability to function well.
In this respect, with regard to eating disorders, most research has focused on assessing (health-related) quality of life and subjective well-being of eating disorder patients, often focusing on things like body satisfaction, self-esteem, and positive and negative emotions. There is, however, another way to think about well-being. A model (and assessment scale) developed by Carolyn Ruff, called psychological well-being (also here), aims to assess specific dimensions of functioning that contribute to or make-up well-being. There are six such dimensions.
Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-being:
- self-acceptance (positive self-evaluation)
- a sense of continued growth and development
- a sense of purpose and meaning in life
- a sense of self-determination and autonomy