As a possible alternative - and notwithstanding that her tragic experience could easily have undermined her - why look for an abnormal explanation when normality is problematic enough?

What's a girl's greatest fear?

This might not apply in your fantasy world where the cultural conditions may be completely different than in the contemporary 'civilised' world we inhabit? It only occurs to me because my story is about feminine beauty - who controls the definition and the powerful impact this has on girls and their self-esteem.

A broad consensus among feminists (as far as I can garner it) holds that this is the underlying reason for the prevalence of eating disorders and self-harming among adolescent girls on an unprecedented scale.

Never having been a girl, I have to rely on the ones I talk to, and read what they write. And not being a scholar of psychology, I can't help feeling out of my depth when I try to understand my female characters, so I think I know where you're coming from.

So I'm thinking of asking this psychologist a question or two. (I found the link indirectly through a link I followed on the nano prep calendar.) She charges extortionate rates for an in-depth analysis but says she will answer your questions briefly for free.

http://www.charactertherapist.blogspot.co.uk