What may underlie differing perceptions of family functioning between mothers and their adolescent daughters with eating disorders?
Daughters with eating disorders (ED) were found to perceive family functioning more negatively than their mothers. This study examined variables that may underlie these differences in a subgroup of adolescent girls and their mothers from the original study.


METHODS
Participants were 77 mother-adolescent daughter dyads. Daughters met current DSM-IV criteria for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa or ED Not Otherwise Specified. Daughters and mothers completed the Family Assessment Device (FAD), which measures perceptions of family functioning with seven subscales. Daughters also completed the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI). Backward elimination stepwise regressions were conducted on difference scores between mothers and daughters for each FAD subscale. Daughter's EDI subscales (except Bulimia) were entered as possible predictors.


RESULTS
Interpersonal Distrust was the only predictor of the differences between daughters and mothers on Problem Solving, Communication, Affective Responsiveness and General Functioning, accounting for 24%, 14%, 10% and 23% of the variance, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences in viewpoints between mothers and daughters regarding the family environment may be understood in terms of the daughters' level of distrust of people in general and their overall feelings of inadequacy. Addressing these psychological difficulties may have powerful implications both for individual and family treatment in the recovery from an eating disorder. Could this be part of the dynamic that led to the eating disorder, a result of the stress on the whole family related to the eating disorder or some combination?
Dancyger
Ida
I
North Shore University Hospital, New York University School of Medicine Manhasset, NY, USA. IDancyge@nshs.edu
Fornari
Victor
V
Sunday
Suzanne
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009518:New York; D010465:Perception; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D035502:Trust