In a sample of 37 persons with intersexuality the recalled parental bonding and its associations with symptomatic distress in adulthood were analysed. The Questionnaire on Parental Attitudes and Rearing Practices (FEPS), an extended version of the widely used Parental Bonding Instrument, was used to retrospectively assess relevant aspects of perceived parental rearing behaviour. The Brief Symptom Inventory was used to assess actual symptomatic distress. Compared to a community based sample of women, the persons with intersexuality rated their parents as being less caring and showing less emotional warmth while being more punitive. Subsequently, the BSI-cut-off score was used to differentiate clinically disturbed from non-disturbed persons with intersexuality. Analyses revealed that the perceived parental bonding of the non-disturbed subgroup was comparable to the community based sample while only the disturbed subgroup differed as described. Using the FEPS-subscales CARE and Punishment Behavior as predictors in logistic regression correctly classified 71.4 % of all subjects as either being clinically disturbed or non-disturbed.
In a sample of 37 persons with intersexuality the recalled parental bonding and its associations with symptomatic distress in adulthood were analysed. The Questionnaire on Parental Attitudes and Rearing Practices (FEPS), an extended version of the widely used Parental Bonding Instrument, was used to retrospectively assess relevant aspects of perceived parental rearing behaviour. The Brief Symptom Inventory was used to assess actual symptomatic distress. Compared to a community based sample of women, the persons with intersexuality rated their parents as being less caring and showing less emotional warmth while being more punitive. Subsequently, the BSI-cut-off score was used to differentiate clinically disturbed from non-disturbed persons with intersexuality. Analyses revealed that the perceived parental bonding of the non-disturbed subgroup was comparable to the community based sample while only the disturbed subgroup differed as described. Using the FEPS-subscales CARE and Punishment Behavior as predictors in logistic regression correctly classified 71.4 % of all subjects as either being clinically disturbed or non-disturbed.