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The childhood and family background of women with clinical eating disorders: a comparison with women with major depression and women without psychiatric disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2000

J. J. WEBSTER  and
R. L. PALMER
J. J. WEBSTER
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Brandon Unit, University of Leicester
R. L. PALMER
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Brandon Unit, University of Leicester
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Abstract

Background. Childhood antecedents are often put forward as being of possible aetiological significance for both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Method. Comparisons were made of groups of women with eating disorders with groups of women with major depression or without current psychiatric disorder, using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse interview (CECA).

Results. Women with bulimia nervosa (or mixed bulimia and anorexia nervosa) tended to report more troubled childhood experiences than did women from the non-morbid comparison group. In this respect, they resembled those with major depression. In contrast, those with anorexia nervosa resembled the non-morbid women rather than the other psychiatric groups.

Conclusions. Adversity in childhood as measured by the CECA may play a part in the causation of bulimia nervosa but not of anorexia nervosa. It remains possible that more specific or subtle family influences may be relevant.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 30 , Issue 1 , January 2000 , pp. 53 - 60
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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