Criterion validity of the multiaxial assessment of eating disorders symptoms

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to establish the criterion validity of the Multiaxial Assessment of Eating Disorders Symptoms (MAEDS) . The MAEDS is a brief, comprehensive, self-report measure for the evaluati on of eating disorders treatment outcome. It assesses six symptoms associat ed with eating disorders with subscales for binge eating, purgative behavio r, avoidance of forbidden foods, restrictive eating fear of fatness, and de pression. Method: To establish criterion validity, we compared the subscale scores of the MAEDS across four eating disorder diagnoses, specified by su btype (bulimia nervosa, purging type; anorexia nervosa, binge-eating/purgin g Type; anorexia nervosa, restricting type; and binge eating disorder). Par ticipants who did not meet the full diagnostic criteria for an eating disor der, but who did meet criteria for a partial syndrome eating disorder, were grouped with the full eating disorder diagnostic subtypes. Results: The cr iterion validity of the MAEDS was supported by the pattern of subscale scor es for the different eating disorder diagnostic groups. Also, with few exce ptions, persons diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, in comparison to subthreshold cases of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, had equivalent scores on the su bscales of the MAEDS. Discussion: These findings support the criterion vali dity of the MAEDS and add to a growing literature that questions difference s in severity of eating disorder symptoms in full syndrome versus partial s yndrome cases. (C) 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.