Am J Psychiatry 1985; 142:1321-1324
Copyright © 1985 by American Psychiatric Association
Family characteristics of 105 patients with bulimia
C Johnson and A Flach
The authors compared 105 patients who met DSM-III criteria for bulimia with
86 control subjects on measures of family environment and presence of
eating disorders. Bulimic patients' perceptions of their families included
low cohesiveness, a lack of emphasis on independent and assertive behavior,
and a high level of conflict coupled with a low emphasis on open expression
of feelings. Families of bulimic subjects had achievement expectations
comparable to those of control families, but the former placed less
emphasis on intellectual and recreational activities. The high
disorganization of the families of bulimic subjects was associated with
severity of symptoms.
