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Norms, normality, and clinical significant change: Implications for the evaluation of treatment outcomes for eating disorders
Author(s) -
Kordy Hans,
Percevic Robert,
Martinovich Zoran
Publication year - 2001
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/eat.1070
Subject(s) - eating disorders , psychology , anorexia nervosa , bulimia nervosa , distrust , german , clinical psychology , normality , interpersonal communication , eating disorder inventory , psychiatry , sample (material) , developmental psychology , social psychology , psychotherapist , chemistry , archaeology , chromatography , history
Objective The implications of the use of national norms of the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI) are investigated. Method A German version of the EDI was administered to a representative national sample (n = 650), a repeatedly measured community sample (n = 207), and a national inpatient sample with primary diagnoses of anorexia or bulimia nervosa (n = 959). Resulting scale distributions were compared with those of North American samples of the handbook. Results Normal ranges on several scales markedly differed when German community norms were used. When estimates of rates of clinical significant changes were based on German norms instead of on North American norms, rates were markedly lower for scales measuring core diagnostic features (e.g., binging/purging, Drive for Thinness) and higher for those measuring correlates (e.g., Maturity Fears, Interpersonal Distrust). Discussion Neglecting differences in national norms can lead to substantial misinterpretation of empirical findings in the diagnosis of eating disorders and the evaluation of treatment outcome. © 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 30: 176–186, 2001.