Emotional functioning in anorexia nervosa patients: adolescents compared to adults.
Studies concerning eating disorder patients have revealed the presence of alexithymia, depressive, and anxiety disorders. We compared these aspects of emotional functioning in two groups of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients: adolescents vs. adults. Forty-eight adolescent anorexia nervosa patients (ADO) and 23 adult anorexia nervosa patients (ADU) completed a battery of tasks and questionnaires to measure these different aspects of emotional functioning and to control for differences of a more general cognitive nature. Both groups showed marked resemblance; both had high alexithymia scores and performed worse on emotional tasks measuring aspects of alexithymia. Furthermore, both groups showed high percentages of depressive and anxiety disorders, with the ADU group scoring only higher on specific and social phobia than the ADO group. Adult and adolescent AN patient groups do not differ substantially with respect to emotional functioning.
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. M.Zonnevylle-Bender@psych.azu.nl
Marjo J S
MJ
Zonnevylle-Bender
Stephanie H M
SH
van Goozen
Peggy T
PT
Cohen-Kettenis
Annemarie
A
van Elburg
Martin
M
de Wildt
Elis
E
Stevelmans
Herman
H
van Engeland
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000367:Age Factors; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology