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Family backgrounds and eating disorders
M Pantano1, R Dalle Grave, M Oliosi
1Casa di Cura Villa Garda, Verona, Italy.
Psychopathology
|January 1, 1997
Summary
A pathological family background may not cause eating disorders (ED), but it can worsen anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Purgative behaviors in patients were linked to a higher incidence of adverse family histories.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Eating disorders (ED) like anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are complex conditions.
- Family history and background are often explored as potential contributing factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between pathological family backgrounds and specific eating disorder subgroups.
- To determine if family history acts as a risk or aggravating factor in AN and BN.
Main Methods:
- Semi-structured interviews were conducted with family members of 79 AN and 34 BN patients.
- Patients completed self-assessment questionnaires: BITE, EDI, and HSCL-90.
- DSM-IV criteria were used for patient subgrouping.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in parental mental disorders were found between AN and BN groups.
- Significant differences in psychiatric family history emerged when patients were subdivided.
- Purgative behaviors in patients correlated with a higher incidence of pathological family backgrounds.
Conclusions:
- Pathological family histories appear to be an aggravating factor, not a direct cause, for eating disorders.
- Family background may influence the manifestation and severity of symptoms in AN and BN.
- Specific behaviors, like purging, are associated with distinct family history patterns.