Parental Psychopathology as a Predictor of Long-Term Outcome in Bulimia Nervosa Patients

Abstract

This paper sought to examine parental variables as predictors of long-term outcome in women with bulimia nervosa (BN). Participants were 94 treatment-seeking women with BN who were assessed at baseline, treatment end, and at follow-up (M=10.13 years). Participants reported rates of psychopathology and obesity in their mothers and fathers at baseline. The most frequently reported parental psychopathology was substance abuse in fathers. Chi‐square analyses indicated that substance abuse in fathers was associated with poor treatment-end outcome in BN participants. Depression in mothers was associated with poor outcome at long-term follow-up, and obesity in mothers was associated with better outcome at long-term follow-up. A logistic regression analysis found that lifetime mood disorder in participants and severe depression in mothers were independent predictors of bulimic symptoms at long-term follow-up. The association between maternal severe depression and long-term outcome in BN suggests that specific parental variables may indicate longer course of BN.