DYNAMIC FAMILY-STAGING MODELS AS AN ETIOL OGIC FACTOR IN ANOREXIA-NERVOSA AND BULIMIA-NERVOSA

Neither sociocultural circumstances stressing live events nor circumsc ript unconscious conflict constellations alone can contribute to suffi cient understanding of the etiology of psychogenic eating disorders. T he authors discuss these disorders against the background of a complex and interdepending system of family development (''dynamic family-sta ging model''). This model was demonstrated and empirically proved in 8 9 patients. Between the two groups of patients with anorexia nervosa ( n = 43) and bulimia nervosa (n = 30) the frequence of expected family constellations did not differ significantly, but had a more marked ten dency (P < 0.10) than in the group of patients with atypical anorexia or bulimia nervosa (n = 16). A greater patient sample is necessary for a more differentiated clinical investigation of the proposed developm ental model.