Personality, perfectionism, and attitudes toward eating in parents of individuals with eating disorders.
OBJECTIVE
This study compares personality and eating-related traits in parents of probands with eating disorders, with age-band matched healthy normal controls.


METHODS
Data were abstracted from an international genetic study of anorexia nervosa. Information was available for the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI), and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Comparisons were done by multivariate analysis of variance.


RESULTS
Mothers of probands showed elevated levels of perfectionism on the MPS and more concerns about weight and shape on the EDI compared with controls. Mothers who had daughters with diagnoses other than the restricting subtype of anorexia nervosa showed elevated levels of perfectionism on the MPS.


CONCLUSIONS
These data are compatible with the notion that some personality traits, such as perfectionism, and weight and shape concerns may cluster in families of probands with eating disorders.
Woodside
D Blake
DB
Department of Psychiatry, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. b.woodside@utoronto.ca
Bulik
Cynthia M
CM
Halmi
Katherine A
KA
Fichter
Manfred M
MM
Kaplan
Allan
A
Berrettini
Wade H
WH
Strober
Michael
M
Treasure
Janet
J
Lilenfeld
Lisa
L
Klump
Kelly
K
Kaye
Walter H
WH
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005060:Europe; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009656:North America; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics; D013694:Temperament