Contributions on personality traits between parent ‐ adolescent interaction in anorexia nervosa at onset: control-case study

Abstract PurposeThe aim of the study was to examine the relationship between personality traits of parents and their daughters with AN by case-control study. Method50 adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa (AN) and both parents were measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory Revised (TCI-R), the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) was used to assess eating symptoms. ResultsThe results were compared with matched 50 controls girls without pathology (CG) and their parents. AN group and adolescent of CG did not differ in personality traits. Mothers and fathers in AN group showed significant differences in temperamental and character traits compared to mothers and fathers in CG. Both parents in AN group showed similar levels in personality traits. Regarding to correlations between personality traits in mothers and their daughters in the AN group, complementary relationships were found in mothers harm avoidance and daughters cooperativeness and fantasy, while in fathers and daughters associations between reward dependence, persistence and self-directedness. The only scale that discriminated between the two groups was drive for thinness between AN-G and CG (classification: 74.7%). Conclusion Evaluating and knowing the different personality traits in adolescents, mothers and fathers at the onset of AN will allow improvements in the intervention in the early phases. Level of evidenceIII: evidence obtained from well-designed case–control study.