Influence of overanxious disorder of childhood on the expression of anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
Childhood anxiety often precedes the onset of anorexia nervosa (AN) and may mark a liability to the emergence of an eating disorder for some women. This study investigates the prevalence of overanxious disorder (OAD) among women with AN and explores how OAD impacts AN symptoms and personality traits.


METHODS
Participants were 637 women with AN who completed an eating disorders history, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, and assessments for childhood anxiety, eating disorder attitudes, and associated personality traits.


RESULTS
Of 249 women (39.1%) reporting a history of OAD, 235 (94.4%) met criteria for OAD before meeting criteria for AN. In comparison to those without OAD, women with AN and OAD self-reported more extreme personality traits and attitudes and they engaged in more compensatory behaviors.


CONCLUSIONS
Among individuals with AN, those entering AN on a pathway via OAD present with more severe eating disorder pathology.
Raney
T J
TJ
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7160, USA.
Thornton
Laura M
LM
Berrettini
Wade
W
Brandt
Harry
H
Crawford
Steven
S
Fichter
Manfred M
MM
Halmi
Katherine A
KA
Johnson
Craig
C
Kaplan
Allan S
AS
LaVia
Maria
M
Mitchell
James
J
Rotondo
Alessandro
A
Strober
Michael
M
Woodside
D Blake
DB
Kaye
Walter H
WH
Bulik
Cynthia M
CM
D000328:Adult; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament; D014427:Twins / Q000523:psychology