Family functioning perception of women with eating disorders

The aim of the present study was to compare the perception of family functioning in Mexican women with eating disorders (ED): anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) with a control group. One hundred young women (M= 18.24 years, TD= 3.9) participated in this study; 70 of which met DSM-IV criteria for an ED (16 AN, 24 BN, 30 EDNOS) and 30 who presented no ED (control group). Participants completed a structured interview (IDED) for assessment of eating disorder psychopathology as well as three questionnaires (EAT-40, BULIT and FES). The ED groups perceived that in their families, acting was more important than cohesion; moreover they presented less expressivity. In conclusion, the ED groups differ from the control group in terms of hierarchy and intensity in each familiar aspect evaluated. The EDNOS and AN groups were similar and the BN group is the one that presents the most problems.