The relationship of anger, self-silencing and feminist consciousness to disordered eating symptomatology in women

grantor: University of TorontoTo date, most research studies have examined the relationship between the emotional experience of depression and eating disorders. As with dysphoric affect, anger has been linked to disordered eating symptoms, however, the consideration of the role of anger in women's coping strategies has been generally neglected and under-researched in the clinical literature. The purpose of the current investigation was to study the relationship of anger, self-silencing and feminist consciousness to eating disturbance. It was predicted that women with greater disordered eating symptomatology would experience higher levels of trait anger, anger suppression and self-silencing, and display a lowered awareness of feminist consciousness. Two hundred and five female university students completed a demographic and behavioral questionnaire, the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26; Garner, Olmsted, Bohr and Garfinkel, 1982), the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-2; Garner, 1991), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI, Spielberger, 1996), the Feminist Identity Development Scale (FIDS; Bargad and Hyde, 1991), and the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS; Jack, 1991; Jack and Dill, 1992). The design of the study was correlational. The main finding confirmed an association between disturbed eating and anger. Overall, the group of respondents endorsing greater symptoms of disturbed eating, showed significantly higher levels of both trait anger and inwardly directed anger. No similar associations were found between disturbed eating symptomatology and the outward expression of anger or anger control. The hypothesis predicting a significant inverse correlation between anger suppression and feminist consciousness was not supported. Similarly, no support was found for an association between feminist consciousness and the tendency to express anger outward. Self-silencing was significantly and positively correlated to disturbed eating symptomatology. Additionally, as self-silencing increased, so did the tendency to suppress anger. Finally, anger suppression and self-silencing were significant predictors of disturbed eating. These results and their implications are discussed and understood within the larger sociopolitical context that affects women's lives. One of the implications to clinical practice is that therapists need to be aware, not only of the relationship of suppressed anger to disturbed eating in their female clients, but also of their own internalization of socially sanctioned gender roles that may inadvertently silence assertive expression by their clients. One of the implications of the findings to prevention is that adolescent females may be helped to divert their anger by having the opportunity to voice their opinions and by actively engaging in transforming their environment in a way that makes them feel safe, respected and empowered.Ed.D