Reduced Inter-variability of Psychopathological Traits within Families of Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Background: While substantial research focuses on the psychological characteristics of adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), little is known about the psychopathological profiles of their parents, especially of the fathers. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the psychopathological profiles of AN adolescents and their parents compared with a control group. Methods: This observational case-control study involved 94 families of adolescents aged 12 to 17: 47 families diagnosed with AN were matched with 47 control families. The sample mean is 15.9 with a standard deviation of 2.9 for BMI across the AN group. Inclusion criteria included adolescents aged 12 to 17 with a diagnosis of AN, and both parents available for the study. Exclusion criteria included AN secondary to medical conditions, severe psychotic disorders, intellectual disabilities, or insufficient understanding of the Italian language. The Symptom Checklist 90–Revised (SCL-90-R) assessing psychopathological symptoms in adolescents and their parents was administered. Statistical analyses compared SCL-90-R scores between AN and control groups and assessed inter-variability within the AN family. Results: Adolescents with AN and their parents displayed significantly higher SCL-90-R scores than controls across multiple dimensions. Specifically, mothers of AN adolescents exhibited higher scores on depression and psychoticism scales, while fathers exhibited higher psychoticism, total positive symptoms, and positive symptom distress. Notably, AN family showed reduced inter-individual variability in psychopathological profiles compared to controls, both within dyads (adolescent-mother, adolescent-father) and the entire family. Conclusion: This study highlights distinct psychopathological profiles in AN family and suggests potential factors of illness maintenance related to parental psychopathology. The findings emphasize the importance of involving the entire family, including fathers, in the therapeutic process for adolescents with AN. Further research with larger samples and structured interviews is needed to validate these results and expand our understanding of family involvement in AN psychopathology.

Keywords

• anorexia nervosa
• eating disorders
• adolescents and parents
• families’ psychopathological traits
• clinical psychology.