RESUMO
Research on anorexia has tended to focus on individuals who are seeking treatment, leading to treatment models that are based on individuals already receiving help. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore personality differences between individuals seeking treatment and those not seeking treatment for anorexia. Participants were 148 women recruited from three online sources. They completed a personality measure derived from the five-factor model and the Eating Attitudes Test-26. Results indicated that individuals with anorexia who were not seeking treatment scored lower on Agreeableness and Conscientiousness than both individuals seeking treatment and a control group. Also, individuals with anorexia in general tended to score lower on Extraversion and higher on Neuroticism than individuals in a control group. These results suggest that being open about treatment options, increasing successes, motivation, and organization, and highlighting the seriousness of anorexia could be beneficial in getting individuals with anorexia to seek and continue in treatment.