Controlled study of eating concerns and psychopathological traits in relatives of eating-disordered probands: do familial traits exist?
To examine the extent to which first-degree relatives of eating-disordered (ED) probands endorse maladaptive eating attitudes and personality/affective traits, we compared self-reported eating concerns (Restraint, Emotional Eating, Body Dissatisfaction, and maladaptive eating attitudes) and psychopathological traits (Affective Instability, Anxiousness, Compulsivity, and Narcissism) across groups of restricter (n = 19), binger (n = 56), psychiatric control (PC, n = 38), normal dieter (ND, n = 29), and nondieter control (NC, n = 28) probands, and then across participating nuclear family members. Results among probands were as anticipated: ED probands showed expected elevations in both areas, and predicted restricter/binger differences were obtained. However, corresponding differences were not obtained on measures of mothers', fathers', or siblings' eating concerns and traits. Our findings corroborate the notion that EDs represent a convergence of eating, affective, and personality disturbances, but not that such a clustering of features exists as a familial trait. We discuss normal trait and attitudinal variations observed in ED probands' relatives in light of findings showing EDs and other psychiatric syndromes to aggregate within families.
Steiger
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H
Eating Disorders Unit, Douglas Hospital Centre, Montreal (Verdun) Quebec, Canada.
Stotland
S
S
Ghadirian
A M
AM
Whitehead
V
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D001290:Attitude; D001828:Body Image; D002032:Bulimia / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology; D004435:Eating; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors