Family environment of eating disordered patients with and without self-injurious behaviors.

Objective: The family environment is known to be an important contributor to the course of psychiatric disorders. In this study, we examined the family context of eating disordered (ED) patients with and without self-injurious behaviors (SIB).
Method: A Dutch adaptation of the Family Environment Scale "Sci Eng 57(9-B):1997;5927" was completed by 131 ED patients of whom 47% showed at least one form of SIB (e.g., cutting, burning, hair pulling, etc.).
Results: Results showed a significant difference in family environment between patients with and without SIB. The family environment of self-injuring ED patients was less cohesive, expressive and socially oriented, and more conflictual and disorganized than the family environment of those without SIB. No significant differences in perceived family environment were found with respect to the number or form of SIB and the subtype of ED. Neither did we find a significant interaction effect between ED subtype and presence/absence of SIB.