Predictive factors of social disability in patients with eating disorders

Objective: The study was designed to assess whether social avoidance symptoms and/or comorhid anxiety disorders were predictive factors of social disability in subjects with eating disorders. Method: Sixty-three subjects with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa were assessed for lifetime diagnoses of anxiety disorders, childhood history of separation anxiety disorder, social avoidance symptoms and social disability. Results: On the Groningen Social Disabilities Schedule, 86% of the anorexics and 65% of the bulimics had disability regarding the 'social role', and 86% and 61 % disability regarding the 'occupational role'. Using all subsets logistic regression analyses, predictive factors of disability were: (1) for the social role, social avoidance symptom score (p<0.002) and diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder (p<0.01); (2) for the occupational role, number of lifetime anxiety disorders (p<0.01) and diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder (p<0.06). Discussion: Recognizing and treating comorbid anxiety disorders in subjects with eating disorders could improve social adaptation and global psychopathological outcome. © 2001, Editrice Kurtis.