| Abstract | Eating disorders (e.g., Anorexia Nervosa) have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielsen, 2011). Unfortunately, researchers have yet to pinpoint an all-encompassing reason as to why these conditions arise. From the perspective of terror management theory (Greenberg, Pyszczynski, & Solomon, 1986), close relationships, self-esteem, and cultural worldviews (i.e., shared systems of meaning) are important in helping people defend against the awareness of mortality. When these defenses are weakened, individuals may experience an increase in death-related concerns and lower well-being. No studies have applied this framework to eating disorders, despite the evidence that such illnesses arise from similar complications with the three aforementioned coping mechanisms. In the following study, 253 participants with and without an eating disorder were recruited and asked to complete a measure of fear of death. The results revealed that persons with an eating disorder exhibited heightened mortality awareness as compared to control individuals. The implications of heightened mortality awareness in eating disordered populations will be further discussed. |
