ABSTRACT
Comprehensive psychometric assessment is essential for diagnosis, case formulation, treatment planning, and assessment of progress. The use of valid and reliable measures is also vital to clinical research. Certain distinctive features of eating disorders can make the clinical assessment process challenging. Individuals with eating disorders have a reputation for minimizing the seriousness of their symptoms. This is likely related to feelings of ambivalence about changing certain valued features of the disorder (e.g., food restriction, low weight). It may also be attributable to the shame and secrecy surrounding some eating-disordered behaviors (e.g., binge eating and vomiting). These factors can lead to denial or distortion in self-report (1). For these reasons, the establishment of a trusting relationship is a prerequisite to eliciting accurate information from eating disorder patients (2). The assessor should communicate an empathic awareness of the mixed feelings many individuals experience about acknowledging certain symptoms, considering change, or starting treatment. In addition, incorporating the principles of motivational viewing into the assessment process can be useful (3). Taking a collaborative approach and focusing on the aspects of the illness that are experienced as distressing to the patient may be particularly helpful.
