A comparative analysis of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory profiles of anorexia nervosa at hospital admission, discharge, and 10-year follow-up.

The assessment of personality variables measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), was compared in a sample of 52 female inpatients with anorexia nervosa at the time of hospitalization, discharge from hospital, and 10 years after treatment. Admission MMPI scores were significantly higher than scores both at discharge and 10 years later. There were no significant overall differences between discharge and follow-up evaluation. Discharge, but not admission, MMPI scores were positively correlated with 10-year follow-up study on seven of 10 clinical MMPI scales (all but hypochondriasis, masculinity/femininity, and hypomania). At follow-up evaluation, eating disorder poor outcome was associated with higher MMPI scores. There was no significant difference on admission MMPI scores between the four outcome groups; however, patients who recovered had a greater decrease in MMPI scores at the 10-year follow-up study compared with poor outcome patients. The long-term outcome of anorexia nervosa was largely unrelated to the severity of psychopathology during the acute phase of the illness. These results suggest that persistent personality features are best measured following treatment of acute symptomatology of anorexia nervosa.

The relationship of partial syndrome eating disorders to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

A variety of sociocultural, familial and individual features associated with the eating disorders were examined in subjects with full syndrome (FS) and partial syndrome (PS) eating disorders and in normal high school students. The EAT-26 was administered to 995 high school students. This was followed by individual interviews with those who scored in the symptomatic range. Fifty-one students with PS eating disorders, 57 students without eating disorders (normal controls) and 30 hospital patients with FS, anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa were compared on subscales of the Eating Disorder Inventory, the Diagnostic Survey for Eating Disorders and the Beck Depression Inventory. The three groups displayed statistically significant differences on dimensions of EDI subscales Ineffectiveness and Interoceptive Awareness and also with respect to depression, history of being overweight and past history of emotional problems, as well as having mothers with medical illnesses. On these characteristics, the FS subjects displayed higher levels than the PS subjects, who in turn were higher than the NC subjects. The PS subjects displayed elevations on Body Dissatisfaction (EDI subscale), past medical illnesses, and mother's over-concern with eating and weight. These data support a continuum model of the eating disorders, but a continuum of multiple associated features rather than of dieting.