Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T20:41:46.117Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Familial Alcoholism in Anorexia Nervosa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Katherine A. Halmi  and
Jan Loney
Katherine A. Halmi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, College of Medicine, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52240, U.S.A.
Jan Loney
Affiliation:
Chief Child Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, College of Medicine, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52240, U.S.A.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Few studies have been published about psychiatric illness among relatives of patients with anorexia nervosa. Even less information is available concerning alcohol abuse in relatives of such patients. Theander (10) found a 2.5 per cent incidence of alcohol abuse among uncles and aunts of patients with anorexia nervosa. Six out of 94 fathers, 6.5 per cent, were alcohol abusers, whereas none of the 94 mothers so indulged. In a recent report of 13 male cases of anorexia nervosa Crisp and Toms (3) describe one father who was a severe alcoholic. Kay and Leigh (6), in a study of 38 patients with anorexia nervosa, noted alcoholism in four parents out of a total of 76 (5 per cent). Alcoholism in actual anorexia nervosa patients has been mentioned, but no incidence figures were given. Crisp (2) commented that ‘those chronic patients who have progressed to a state of overeating and vomiting not infrequently appear to become dominated by oral behaviour, and may sometimes present with alcoholism’. Toms and Crisp (11) hold that alcohol and drugs may be used as substitutes or diversions for the suppression of normal appetite.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 123 , Issue 572 , July 1973 , pp. 53 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1973 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Bleuler, M. (1932). ‘Psychotische Belastung von körperlich Kranken.’ Zeitung für die Gesamte Neurologie und Psychiatrie, 142, 780–811.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2 Crisp, A. H. (1968). ‘Primary anorexia nervosa.’ Gut, 9, 370–2.Google Scholar
3 Crisp, A. H., and Toms, D. A. (1972). ‘Primary anorexia nervosa or weight phobia in the male: report on 13 cases.’ British Medical Journal, 1, 334–8.Google Scholar
4 Feiohner, J. P., Robins, E., Guze, S. B., Woodruff, R. A., Winokur, G., and Munoz, R. (1972). ‘Diagnostic criteria for use in psychiatric research.’ Archives of General Psychiatry, 26, 57–63.Google Scholar
5 Fremming, K. H. (1947). Sygdromsrisikoen for Sindslidelser og andre sjaelelige Abnormtilstande i den danske Gennemsnitsbefolkning. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard.Google Scholar
6 Kay, D. W. K., and Leigh, D. (1954). ‘The natural history, treatment, and prognosis of anorexia nervosa, based on a study of 38 patients.’ Journal of Mental Science, 100, 411–31.Google Scholar
7 Luxenburger, H. (1928). ‘Demographische und psychiatrische Untersuchungen in der engeren biologischen Familie von Paralytikerehegatten.’ Zeitung für die Gesamte Neurologie und Psychiatrie, 112, 331–491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8 Sjögren, T. (1948). ‘Genetic-statistical and psychiatric investigations of a west Swedish population.’ Acta Psychiatrica et Neurologica, Supplementum 52.Google Scholar
9 Slater, E. (1935). ‘The incidence of mental disorder.’ Annals of Eugenics (London), 6, 172–86.Google Scholar
10 Theander, S. (1970). ‘Anorexia nervosa.’ Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Supplementum 214.Google Scholar
11 Toms, D. A., and Crisp, A. H. (1972). ‘Weight phobia in an adolescent male with stunted development.’ Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 16, 289–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.