Validating the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) in Sweden.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) on a Swedish population by investigating differences between 1) young women with eating disorder symptoms (patients and non-patients), and normal controls and 2) patients with different eating disorder diagnoses, regarding symptom load and psychological characteristics. Another objective was to update EDI as a screening instrument

METHOD: Patients (n=194) with DSM-IV confirmed eating disorder diagnoses (anorexia nervosa AN; bulimia nervosa BN; eating disorder not otherwise specified, EDNOS) were compared vvith each other and with randomly selected and matched controls consisting of young women with self-reported eating disorder symptoms (n=51) and women without such symptoms (n=188).

RESULTS: In general, women vvith eating disorderproblems, whether or not they were patients, scored significantly higher on both symptoms and personality characteristics compared to normal controls. Patients with DSM verified eating disorders did not differ from women with self-reported eating disorders symptoms on body dissatisfaction, perfectionism and impulsiveness. Women with self-reported symptoms did not differ from women without symptoms on interpersonal distrust and maturity fears. Amongst the patient groups, BN patients scored highest, and AN patients lowest, on self-reported pathology. Most of the EDI-2 scales and all the three indexes had acceptable specificity and sensitivity.

CONCLUSION: EDI-2 discriminates well between women with eating disorder symptoms and normal controls, but responses from patients with AN should be interpreted with care. The EDI-2 indexes are especially recommended for screening purposes.