Anorexia nervosa, psychopathology, and outcome

Objective: To examine for specificity of Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI) r atings and differences in self-reported cognitions and clinical outcome bet ween adolescent cases of anorexia nervosa (AN) with and without comorbid de pression. Method: Thirty-five subjects with AN and matched psychiatric and community controls received the EDI and a structured diagnostic interview. AN subjects were followed up at I and 2 years using the EDI and a semistruc tured interview to assess outcome. Results: Subjects with AN and those with other psychiatric disorders scored similarly on the EDI. Differences betwe en AN cases and community controls were marked for comorbid cases but rare for noncomorbid cases. Comorbid AN cases had an equally good outcome compar ed to those with AN alone. Discussion: Abnormal cognitions reported in the EDI are much greater in those cases with comorbid depression, but neither t he presence of depression nor high EDI scores appears to adversely affect p rognosis. (C) 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.