LIFE EVENTS AND SEVERE ANOREXIA-NERVOSA IN ADOLESCENCE

The purpose of the study was to study the influence of life events on adolescent patients suffering from anorexia nervosa. Twenty one hospit alized adolescent inpatients with severe anorexia nervosa were compare d with 79 adolescent nonanorectic psychiatric inpatients and 40 health y adolescents for stressful life events throughout their lives. The no nanorectic patients suffered from schizophrenia, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, borderline personality disorder or conduct disorder . The assessment of the contribution of life events to the development of anorexia and the control mental disorders was based on semistructu red interviewing of the patients, their parents and the patients' ther apists. The instrument used was that developed by Pfeffer. The anorect ic patients showed significantly higher negative life event scores tha n healthy controls in all the areas of life events examined. In additi on, they showed significantly more negative life events concerning par ents than patients in the other psychiatric diagnostic categories. The se findings have relevance for the growing literature on the associati on between eating disorders and certain forms of child abuse.