Aim. The aim of the study was to describe the dimensions of family autonomy and intimacy in families of parents of patients with eating disorders and depression in comparison with parents of healthy controls. Method. We used the autonomy and intimacy scales of the Family of Origin Scale (FOS) to compare parents of 112 females having different types of eating disorders with parents of 40 depressed females and 85 schoolgirls in the Polish cultural context. Results. Mothers of bulimic girls had poorer results on both FOS major scales as compared to schoolgirls' mothers. Mothers of anorexia nervosa binge/purge type patients had poorer results on three autonomy and two intimacy subscales as compared to schoolgirls' mothers. Fathers of restrictive anorexia patients had poorer results on both FOS major scales as compared to schoolgirls' fathers. Fathers of bulimic patients scored worse on general autonomy and its two subscales than schoolgirls' fathers, and fathers of depressed girls had poorer scores on two subscales as compared to schoolgirls' fathers. Conclusions. Thus, parents of eating disorder patients had significant difficulties in autonomous functioning and intimacy as compared to parents of healthy females and of depressed females, respectively.