Predictive factors of social disability in patients with eating disorders.
OBJECTIVE
The study was designed to assess whether social avoidance symptoms and/or comorbid anxiety disorders were predictive factors of social disability in subjects with eating disorders.


METHODS
Sixty-three subjects with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa were assessed for lifetime diagnoses of anxiety disorders, childhood history of separation anxiety disorder, social avoidance symptoms and social disability.


RESULTS
On the Groningen Social Disabilities Schedule, 86% of the anorexics and 65% of the bulimics had disability regarding the 'social role', and 86% and 61 % disability regarding the 'occupational role'. Using all subsets logistic regression analyses, predictive factors of disability were: (1) for the social role, social avoidance symptom score (p<0.002) and diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder (p<0.01); (2) for the occupational role, number of lifetime anxiety disorders (p<0.01) and diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder (p<0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
Recognizing and treating comorbid anxiety disorders in subjects with eating disorders could improve social adaptation and global psychopathological outcome.
Flament
M F
MF
INSERM CNRS UMR 7593, Hĵpital La Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Godart
N T
NT
Fermanian
J
J
Jeammet
P
P
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D002032:Bulimia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012380:Role; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012919:Social Behavior