ALEXITHYMIA, FAMILY AND EATING DISORDERS

Abstract

Objective: to contrast the differences in the level of TAS-20 among families with a daughter with eating disorders (ED) and a control group. Method: 64 women with (ED) [according to criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, IV edition, (American Psychiatric Association, 1994)]. (26 with restrictive anorexia nervosa (RAN), 14 with bulimic anorexia nervosa (AN-BN) and 29 with bulimia nervosa (BN), and a control group, 55 women and their parents, with similar sociodemographic characteristic were evaluated with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Eating Attitude Test (EAT). Results: The daughters with ED, and their parents, present bigger scores in the TAS-20. the daughter’s Alexithymia is associated to this their parents. Discussion: the Alexithymia could be a characteristic of families with a ED, but we can not to affirm if is a trait or a state due to the ED.