A three-year prospective study of life events and course for adults with anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa.
Attempts to understand the pathogenesis and course of eating disorders have increasingly included investigation of stressful life events. We report a prospective study in which major life events were assessed 1, 2, and 3 years after the patient's initial presentation to a university hospital psychiatric department. Using a combined questionnaire and interview procedure based on items from the Psychiatric Epidemiologic Research Interview, we studied 25 adults with DSM-III-R anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Evidence for an influence of life events on improvement was obtained the 1st year. Events explained a substantial 30% of the variability in follow-up status, with analyses taking potential confounds into consideration unable to explain the finding. Also, significant correlations between events and self-rated variables (Eating Disorder Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory) were obtained at one of the follow-ups, but in all, the data did not consistently imply that life events affect the patients' course.
Sohlberg
S
S
Department of Clinical Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Norring
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002032:Bulimia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000928:Antidepressive Agents