Perception of family functioning and depressive symptomatology in individuals with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa

This study investigated the relationship between the perception of family f unctioning and depressive symptomatology in individuals with eating disorde rs (EDs), Subjects were evaluated by diagnostic clinical interview using DS M-III-R criteria for EDs, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizoph renia-Lifetime Version (SADS-L), and two self-report measures, the Beck Dep ression inventory (BDI) and the Family Assessment Device (FAD), A significa nt association was found between self-reported depressive symptomatology an d perceived poor family functioning. Subjects with bulimia nervosa (BN) rep orted a significantly more dysfunctional family background than subjects wi th anorexia nervosa (AN). In our sample, the presence of self-reported depr essive symptomatology was a more powerful predictive variable for perceived family dysfunction than the diagnosis of affective disorder. Also, the dia gnosis of BN was a more consistent predictor of dysfunctional family intera ction than the diagnosis of affective disorder, Depressive symptoms and EDs seem to play different roles in the way in which they contribute to dysfun ctional family patterns. Copyright (C) 1999 by W.B. Saunders Company.