ABSTRACT
Objectives of review. The aim of this chapter is to review studies related to the assessment of eating disorders that were published or presented in 2004 or 2005.
Summary of recent findings. New instruments have been developed in response to current needs in the area. These include a focus on the advantages and disadvantages of anorexia nervosa and examination of body checking and avoidance behaviors. Other research has extended the investigation of the psychometric properties of existing measures in new samples, new demographic subgroups, and new cultures.
Future directions. Additional research is required to establish reliability and validity for the more recently developed measures; some of this work should be conducted in different settings to establish generalizability. Large data-based comparison studies are needed to delineate the strengths, weaknesses, and function of the many available instruments and to isolate the effects of assessment modality. Assessment strategies for children are underdeveloped and urgently needed.
