Psychopathology of bulimia nervosa: a multidimensional model

In recent years, a number of studies have been carried out with the intention of isolating clinical dimensions in the psychopathology of bulimia nervosa. Although borderline personality has been considered a core element of the bulimic psychopathology by most of the authors, it has not been incorpor...

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Published inActas españolas de psiquiatría Vol. 29; no. 6; p. 374
Main Authors Vaz Leal, F J, Peñas Lledo, E M, Guisado Macias, J A, Ramos Fuentes, M I, López-Ibor Aliño, J J
Format Journal Article
LanguageSpanish
Published Spain 01.11.2001
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Borderline Personality Disorder - epidemiology
Bulimia - diagnosis
Bulimia - psychology
Depression - epidemiology
Female
Humans
Mood Disorders - epidemiology
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Social Behavior Disorders - epidemiology
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:In recent years, a number of studies have been carried out with the intention of isolating clinical dimensions in the psychopathology of bulimia nervosa. Although borderline personality has been considered a core element of the bulimic psychopathology by most of the authors, it has not been incorporated into any of these models. In this context, the present study was aimed at testing the consistence of the more complex model proposed until now, including in the analysis borderline personality as a clinical variable. A group of 66 female patients fulfilling DSM-IV criteria for bulimia nervosa were assessed using a set of clinical instruments. The isolated items were processed using factor analysis techniques. Five basic dimensions of bulimia nervosa were obtained: 1. body disatisfaction; 2. restrictive eating behaviors; 3. purging behaviors; 4. emotional instability; and 5. disocial behavior. Our results support the idea that bulimia nervosa is a multidimensional condition. In our model, the dimension emotional instability incorporated borderline features, which tended to be strongly associated to self-defeating behaviors and depressive symptoms.
ISSN:1139-9287