Ego Deficits in Anorexia Nervosa Patients and Incest Victims: An MMPI Comparative Analysis
Ego deficit is a frequent theme in the clinical literature for both patients of anorexia nervosa and victims of incest, but no previous study has analyzed, compared or contrasted the dynamics of the two groups psychometrically. The present investigation utilized the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to study the mean profiles of 30 hospitalized anorexic women, 30 female victims of father-daughter incest, and 30 female subjects in a matched contemporary control group. Remarkable similarities were noted between the anorexic and incest groups (and differences from the control group) in characterological elevations on five clinical scales and lower scores on Barron's ego strength (Es) scale. The results are discussed in terms of ego deficits shared by the two groups in spite of their distinctly different developmental and behavioral histories.