[History of sexual abuse in patients with bulimia nervosa: its influence on clinical status].
BACKGROUND
Studies analyzing the relationship between sexual abuse and bulimia nervosa (BN) have reported discrepant results. This study aimed to assess the role of a history of sexual abuse in the clinical status of a group of patients diagnosed of BN using DSM-IV diagnostic criteria.


METHODS
Seventy patients with BN were assessed using specific clinical tools: Eating Attitudes Test-40 items (EAT-40), Bulimia Investigation Test Edinburgh (BITE), Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II), Sixteen Personality Factors Test (16-PF) and a clinical interview for the assessment of past and current substance abuse. The data from the 15 patients with a history of sexual abuse (21.4 % of the sample) were compared with those from the 55 patients without such a history.


RESULTS
Both groups were very similar regarding symptom severity. Only the tendency to somatization and higher scores in the factor E of the 16-PF (dominance) were associated with antecedents of sexual abuse in the sample.


CONCLUSIONS
The results support the idea that sexual abuse may be related to higher non-specific vulnerability to psychopathology, but do not increase symptom severity in BN patients.
Vaz Leal
F J
FJ
Facultad de Medicina de Badajoz, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario, Badajoz, Spain. fjvaz@unex.es
Guisado Macías
J A
JA
García-Herraiz
M A
MA
López Vinuesa
B
B
Monge Bautista
M
M
Bolívar Perálvarez
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index