A meta-analysis of the dependency-eating-disorders relationship: Strength,specificity, and temporal stability

Meta-analysis of studies examining the dependency-eating-disorders relation ship revealed that (1) there is a positive association between interpersona l dependency levels and eating disorder symptoms/diagnoses (r = .25); (2) t his relationship is comparable in anorexic and bulimic participants; (3) al though dependent personality disorder symptoms are elevated in eating-disor dered participants, so are the symptoms of several other personality disord ers; and (4) when eating disorder symptoms remit, dependency levels decreas e. Conclusion: There is a statistically significant link between interperso nal dependency and eating disorders, but this relationship is modest in mag nitude, nonspecific, and varies with eating disorder symptom levels. Clinic al, empirical, and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed .