The relationship between eating pathology and perceived family functioning in eating disorder patients in a day...

This study examines the perceived levels of family functioning and their relationships with eating pathology across three eating disorder diagnostic groups. Charts of 65 day treatment female patients, ranging in age from 12 to 27 years, were studied by diagnosis and assessed using the FACES-II and EDI-2. Using multiple regression analyses, it was determined that perceived family functioning yielded significant predictions for various EDI-2 subscales within both Anorexia Nervosa and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified diagnoses. Significant correlations were found between FACESII and the EDI-2 for all three diagnostic groups. Using ANOVA analyses and Bonferroni comparisons, significant differences among diagnoses on the EDI-2 subscales were obtained when studying patients within different family types as defined by FACES-II. These data support previous findings that suggest that as family functioning is perceived to be more dysfunctional the severity level of eating pathology increases.