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Psychiatric comorbidity associated with eating disorder symptomatology among adolescents in the community
Author(s) -
Zaider Talia I.,
Johnson Jeffrey G.,
Cockell Sarah J.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(200007)28:1<58::aid-eat7>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - comorbidity , eating disorders , psychology , psychiatry , panic disorder , personality disorders , anxiety , clinical psychology , borderline personality disorder , major depressive disorder , mood , anxiety disorder , personality , mood disorders , social psychology
Objective This study investigates psychiatric comorbidity associated with eating disorder symptomatology among adolescents in the community. Method Four hundred three adolescents in the community were administered structured clinical interviews to assess mood, anxiety, eating, substance use, and personality disorders. Results Adolescents with dysthymia, panic and major depressive disorder were significantly more likely than those without these disorders to have an eating disorder. After controlling for the effects of other Axis I disorders and personality disorders, only dysthymia independently predicted the presence of an eating disorder. Several personality disorders were also associated with eating disorder symptoms. However, only obsessive‐compulsive personality disorder predicted eating disorder symptoms after controlling for other personality disorders. Conclusion Although previous research on adults has focused on the association between major depressive disorder and eating disorders, dysthymia may be more strongly associated with eating disorders among adolescents in the community. This association is not accounted for by psychiatric comorbidity. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 28: 58–67, 2000.