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Psychiatric Morbidity Is Overrepresented in Young Girls at High Risk of Developing Anorexia Nervosa

Dahlin, Karin ; Järvholm, Kajsa LU orcid ; Dahlgren, Joanna and Wentz, Elisabet (2026) In International Journal of Eating Disorders
Abstract
Objective: Psychiatric comorbidity frequently presents in anorexia nervosa (AN). Yet, the premorbid mental health status is rel-atively unknown. The aim of this study was to map out psychiatric morbidity and psychopathology among girls at familial highrisk (FHR) of developing AN, thereby detecting possible underlying vulnerabilities preceding the disease.

Method: Twenty-eight daughters of mothers with a history of AN (FHR daughters), aged 6–12, along with 42 comparison daugh-ters without FHR for AN (COMP daughters), were recruited. The mothers completed a battery of parental diagnostic inter-views and screening questionnaires regarding psychiatric diagnoses and psychological traits in their daughters, including theDevelopment and... (More)
Objective: Psychiatric comorbidity frequently presents in anorexia nervosa (AN). Yet, the premorbid mental health status is rel-atively unknown. The aim of this study was to map out psychiatric morbidity and psychopathology among girls at familial highrisk (FHR) of developing AN, thereby detecting possible underlying vulnerabilities preceding the disease.

Method: Twenty-eight daughters of mothers with a history of AN (FHR daughters), aged 6–12, along with 42 comparison daugh-ters without FHR for AN (COMP daughters), were recruited. The mothers completed a battery of parental diagnostic inter-views and screening questionnaires regarding psychiatric diagnoses and psychological traits in their daughters, including theDevelopment and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Results: In comparison to the COMP daughters, the FHR daughters had 27 percentage points higher absolute risk of meetingcriteria for ≥ 1 psychiatric diagnoses (32.1% versus 4.8%; unadjusted p = 0.007; adjusted p = 0.035), and 21 percentage pointshigher risk of ≥ 2 psychiatric diagnoses (unadjusted p = 0.007; adjusted p = 0.035) according to the DAWBA and/or as establishedby the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry clinics. Among the FHR daughters, anxiety disorders and autism were the most commondiagnoses. In addition, the FHR daughters scored significantly higher on the Emotional symptoms subscale of the SDQ (p = 0.03).

Discussion: Increased risks of psychiatric diagnoses and elevated emotional problems were found among girls at FHR for AN.The results may therefore suggest psychiatric morbidity to be a potential risk factor for developing AN. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
in
International Journal of Eating Disorders
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • pmid:42002845
  • scopus:105036109304
ISSN
1098-108X
DOI
10.1002/eat.70104
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
279463d4-89f3-428a-bedc-7822ceb75acd
date added to LUP
2026-04-20 11:33:12
date last changed
2026-05-15 04:00:55
@article{279463d4-89f3-428a-bedc-7822ceb75acd,
  abstract     = {{Objective: Psychiatric comorbidity frequently presents in anorexia nervosa (AN). Yet, the premorbid mental health status is rel-atively unknown. The aim of this study was to map out psychiatric morbidity and psychopathology among girls at familial highrisk (FHR) of developing AN, thereby detecting possible underlying vulnerabilities preceding the disease.<br/><br/>Method: Twenty-eight daughters of mothers with a history of AN (FHR daughters), aged 6–12, along with 42 comparison daugh-ters without FHR for AN (COMP daughters), were recruited. The mothers completed a battery of parental diagnostic inter-views and screening questionnaires regarding psychiatric diagnoses and psychological traits in their daughters, including theDevelopment and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).<br/><br/>Results: In comparison to the COMP daughters, the FHR daughters had 27 percentage points higher absolute risk of meetingcriteria for ≥ 1 psychiatric diagnoses (32.1% versus 4.8%; unadjusted p = 0.007; adjusted p = 0.035), and 21 percentage pointshigher risk of ≥ 2 psychiatric diagnoses (unadjusted p = 0.007; adjusted p = 0.035) according to the DAWBA and/or as establishedby the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry clinics. Among the FHR daughters, anxiety disorders and autism were the most commondiagnoses. In addition, the FHR daughters scored significantly higher on the Emotional symptoms subscale of the SDQ (p = 0.03).<br/><br/>Discussion: Increased risks of psychiatric diagnoses and elevated emotional problems were found among girls at FHR for AN.The results may therefore suggest psychiatric morbidity to be a potential risk factor for developing AN.}},
  author       = {{Dahlin, Karin and Järvholm, Kajsa and Dahlgren, Joanna and Wentz, Elisabet}},
  issn         = {{1098-108X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Eating Disorders}},
  title        = {{Psychiatric Morbidity Is Overrepresented in Young Girls at High Risk of Developing Anorexia Nervosa}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eat.70104}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/eat.70104}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}