Use of the Parental Bonding Instrument to compare interpretations of the parental bond by adolescent girls with restricting and binge/purging anorexia nervosa

The Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) was administered to 62 adolescent female patients (mean age 14.3): 35 with restricting-type anorexia nervosa (RAN), and 27 with binge/purging-type anorexia nervosa (B/PAN) according to the DSM-IV criteria, all at onset and initial diagnosis. The PBI was also administered to a control group (55 subjects) and 22 patients with Crohn's disease or celiac disease. The three groups were matched for age and socioeconomic status. The RAN and B/PAN patients gave significantly different interpretations of the parental bond (PB): for the former, it was adequate with both parents, for the latter it was inadequate, especially with the father. The fact that these differences exist at the onset of anorexia prior to any possible effect of therapy suggests that its structure is determined by different family dynamics.