Perceptions of nonshared childhood environment in bulimia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this research was to identify perceptions of nonshared childhood environmental factors associated with bulimia nervosa and the comorbid personality traits associated with this disorder.


METHODS
Twenty-nine individuals with bulimia nervosa and 27 normal controls compared themselves to a sibling on a measure specifically designed to assess perceptions of nonshared environmental factors in parental, peer, and sibling relationships. Also, bulimic individuals' primary clinicians completed a series of ratings for each of the DSM-III personality disorders.


RESULTS
Bulimic individuals were more likely than controls to rate their fathers as showing less affection and more control toward them than toward their sibling. Among bulimic individuals, borderline personality disorder ratings were associated with the perception that both mother and father showed less affection toward the bulimic individual than toward her sibling. Avoidant and depressive personality ratings were associated with perceptions of unique experiences with peers.


CONCLUSIONS
These data provide preliminary evidence suggesting that the paternal relationship may be a source of nonshared environmental experience associated with bulimia nervosa. Borderline personality disorder among bulimics appears related to more pervasive within-family experiences across both the maternal and paternal relationship, while depressive and avoidant personality seems related to unique peer experiences.
Wonderlich
S
S
Department of Neuroscience, University of North Dakota Medical School, Fargo 58102.
Ukestad
L
L
Perzacki
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010553:Personality Development; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012801:Sibling Relations; D012931:Social Environment