The utility of dimensional and categorical approaches to understanding dissociation in the eating disorders.
The present study compared levels of dissociation across groups of eating-disordered women, investigating the utility of dimensional and categorical measures of dissociation in understanding diagnoses and behaviours in the eating disorders.



The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II) was completed by 170 eating-disordered women (drawn from out-patient assessment clinics) and 203 nonclinical women. The clinical group also supplied information regarding eating behaviours and related features (alcohol abuse, reported history of sexual abuse). The DES-II and a subset of its items (DES-Taxon) were used as dimensional and categorical discriminators of the groups and of the presence/absence of specific features and symptoms.



When treated as dimensional measures, the DES-II and DES-Taxon had similar levels of clinical utility (particularly discriminating the binge-purge anorexics from the other clinical groups). However, the DES-Taxon was a superior categorical measure, discriminating groups more clearly and predicting the presence of many symptoms and features much more powerfully.



The DES-Taxon is a potentially valuable self-report measure for indicating the level and presence of dissociative psychopathology in the eating disorders. As well as being convenient to administer and score, it has the clinical and research value of indicating those patients in whom treatment might need to include addressing pathological dissociation.
Waller
G
G
Department of General Psychiatry, St. George's Hospital Medical School, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK. g.waller@sghms.as.uk
Ohanian
V
V
Meyer
C
C
Everill
J
J
Rouse
H
H
D003861:Depersonalization / Q000523:psychology*; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans