Comorbidity of axis I psychiatric disorders in bulimia nervosa.
BACKGROUND
The coexistence of other psychiatric disorders in patients with bulimia nervosa is of major clinical and theoretical interest. We therefore studied a group of consecutively evaluated bulimic patients.


METHODS
The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) was administered to a sample of 59 female patients with DSM-III-R-defined bulimia nervosa.


RESULTS
The following frequencies of lifetime Axis I comorbid diagnoses were found (in decreasing frequency): any affective disorder (75%), major depressive disorder (63%), any anxiety disorder (36%), any substance abuse disorder (20%), social phobia (17%), generalized anxiety disorder (12%), and panic disorder (10%). In the 44 cases with an affective disorder, 27 (61%) had the onset of affective disorder, 27 (61%) had the onset of their affective disorder prior to the onset of their bulimia, 15 (34%) afterward, and 2 (5%) concurrently. In the 21 cases with any anxiety disorder, 15 (71%) had the onset of their anxiety disorder prior to the onset of their bulimia, 4 (19%) afterward, and 2 (10%) concurrently.


CONCLUSIONS
These data confirm previous reports of a strong association between bulimia nervosa and affective illness, which in most cases precedes the eating disorder. In addition, a high frequency of anxiety disorders, particularly social phobia, is seen in bulimic patients.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
T D
TD
Brewerton
R B
RB
Lydiard
D B
DB
Herzog
A W
AW
Brotman
P M
PM
O'Neil
J C
JC
Ballenger
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology