FAMILY ENVIRONMENT IN BULIMIA-NERVOSA - THE ROLE OF DEPRESSION

Family environment was assessed by means of a self‐report questionnaire (the Family Environment Scale) in 99 women meeting DSM‐III criteria for Bulimia and 37 age‐ and sex‐matched normal control subjects. Bulimic women were divided into depressed and nondepressed subgroups. Overall, bulimic women were found to perceive their families as being less cohesive, less independent, more oriented toward achievement, less expressive, and less involved in recreational pursuits than did controls. However, these differences were specific to the depressed subgroup of bulimic women. Nondepressed bulimic women did not perceive their families differently than controls, with the one exception of finding their families to be more achievement‐oriented. These results are discussed in terms of their relevance for understanding the role of the family in the etiology of bulimia. Copyright © 1990 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company