Although the link of depression and self-esteem with disordered eating is well reported in literature, there is insufficient insight into the underlying processes that inform the relationship. The present study examined the mediating effects of comparison of appearance and internalization of appearance ideals in the relationship of depression and self-esteem with disordered eating. The study sample comprised of 381 school-going adolescent girls, aged 13 to 18, from Islamabad, Pakistan. As part of the study, participants were required to complete several measures, including the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire—Short Form, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Physical Appearance Comparison Scale—Revised, and Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire—4. Findings revealed significant relationships between depression, self-esteem, comparison of appearance, internalization of appearance ideals, and disordered eating. Path analyses indicated that comparison of appearance and internalization of appearance ideals partially serially mediated the relationship between depression and disordered eating. Additionally, these two mediators were found to fully serially mediate the relationship between self-esteem and disordered eating. This study implicates the importance of considering depression and self-esteem in predicting disordered eating. Furthermore, findings posited that comparison of appearance and internalization of appearance ideals posed as potential risk factors in aggravating disordered eating. This study extends an opportunity for clinicians and community workers to initiate projects of social welfare such as awareness programs to address eating-related pathologies in educational as well as community settings, specifically amongst the adolescent population.

尽管抑郁症和自尊与饮食失调之间的联系在文献中已有充分报道，但对这种关系的潜在过程的了解还不够。本研究探讨了外表比较和理想外表内化在抑郁和自尊与饮食失调关系中的中介作用。研究样本包括来自巴基斯坦伊斯兰堡的 381 名 13 至 18 岁在校少女。作为研究的一部分，参与者需要完成多项测量，包括饮食失调检查问卷（简式）、抑郁焦虑压力量表 21、罗森伯格自尊量表、外貌比较量表（修订版）以及对外表的社会文化态度问卷—— 4.研究结果揭示了抑郁、自尊、外貌比较、外貌理想的内化和饮食失调之间存在显着关系。路径分析表明，外表的比较和理想外表的内在化部分连续地介导了抑郁症和饮食失调之间的关系。此外，发现这两个中介完全连续地中介自尊和饮食失调之间的关系。这项研究暗示了在预测饮食失调时考虑抑郁和自尊的重要性。此外，研究结果表明，外表的比较和理想外表的内在化是加剧饮食失调的潜在风险因素。 这项研究为临床医生和社区工作者提供了启动社会福利项目的机会，例如提高认识计划，以解决教育和社区环境中与饮食相关的病症，特别是在青少年群体中。