| Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with behavioral traits that predate onset of AN and persist after recovery. The present study investigates the behavioral traits of AN probands and their parents and seeks to identify characteristic clusters of traits occurring within and among AN trios. Data were collected as part of the Price Foundation multi-site genetic study of AN. The sample included (a) 433 complete AN trios (proband plus two biological parents) and (b) 697 healthy control women. Measures included the TCI, MPS, Y-BOCS, YBC-EDS, EDI-2, STAI, BIS-11, and NEO PI-R. Data analysis included latent profile analysis (LPA) and MANCOVA with post-hoc comparisons. Comparisons between AN probands and healthy comparison women revealed consistent personality, temperament, and affective differences between groups. Characteristics of the latent classes varied depending on the subgroup investigated; classes were distinguished by degrees of harm avoidance, neuroticism, cooperativeness, and self-directedness. Harm avoidance and neuroticism were inversely related to cooperativeness and self-directedness. Probands and mothers, respectively, were distinguished by levels of state and trait anxiety. Fathers and mothers, respectively, were distinguished by levels of body dissatisfaction. Probands' clinical status, but not illness subtype, was significantly related to class membership. AN trios were distinguished by mothers' and probands' drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, perfectionism, neuroticism, trait anxiety, and harm avoidance. All three classes of trios reported elevated proband OC symptoms. Results confirm that the temperament and personality characteristics of AN probands and their parents significantly differ from those of healthy comparison women. Distinct classes of probands, parents, and trios were identified. The classes were distinguished by the level of pathology on selected variables rather than by qualitative pattern differences. A small number of variables discriminated between classes within the subgroups investigated. Use of these variables may facilitate shorter, more efficient assessment batteries and may be used prospectively to identify risk factors for AN. Identification of key temperament, personality, and affective differences among AN families may facilitate improved patient-treatment match. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
