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Girls with anorexia nervosa as young adults

Self-reported and parent-reported emotional and behavioural problems compared with siblings

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Abstract

This follow-up study had three objectives: 1) to investigate emotional and behavioural problems, adaptive functioning and substance use in former anorexia nervosa (AN) patients compared with siblings, 2) to compare information obtained from different informants, and 3) to compare questionnaire results with interview results. Fifty (of 55) female AN patients, representative for AN patients under 18 years referred to county health services, were assessed at a mean of 8.8 years after treatment start with the Young Adult Self-Report and the Young Adult Behaviour Checklist (mean age 23.1 years). In all, 48 patients, 25 siblings, 33 mothers and 27 fathers participated in the questionnaire study. Although 41/50 (82 %) had recovered from their eating disorder, the former AN patients had substantially more self-reported and parent-reported problems than their siblings, particularly with regard to Internalising Problems and on the Anxious/Depressed syndrome scale. Cross-informant agreement between the parents and between parents and patients was high, but low between parents and siblings. The patients with psychiatric diagnoses at follow-up had substantially higher problem scores than those without diagnoses both on the self-report and the parent-report, supporting the validity of the questionnaires. In conclusion, the self- and parent-reports showed a high level of Internalising Problems and were useful instruments in the assessment of former AN patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Buskerud Hospital, 3004, Drammen, Norway

    Inger Halvorsen

  2. Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, 23, Tåsen 0801 Oslo, Norway

    Anne Andersen & Sonja Heyerdahl

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  1. Inger Halvorsen
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  2. Anne Andersen
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  3. Sonja Heyerdahl
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Halvorsen, I., Andersen, A. & Heyerdahl, S. Girls with anorexia nervosa as young adults. Europ.Child & Adolescent Psych 14, 397–406 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-005-0489-0

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