title: The number of divergent purging behaviors is associated with histories of trauma, PTSD, and comorbidity in a national sample of women.
abstract: The number of different types of purging behaviors (NPB) of subjects with bulimia nervosa (BN) has been associated with greater severity of illness and psychiatric comorbidity. No studies have examined the association between the NPB used (vomiting, laxative abuse, diuretic abuse), histories of trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A national, representative sample of 3,006 adult women (≥18 years) completed a structured telephone interview including screenings for victimization experiences, PTSD, BN, major depression (MD), alcohol abuse (AA), and alcohol dependence (AD). Significant relationships were found between the NPB used and lifetime rates of victimization, PTSD, MD, AA, AD, and total comorbid disorders (p ≤ .001, χ(2)).
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston , South Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Timothy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Brewerton
authors.forename: Bonnie S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Dansky
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: O'Neil
authors.forename: Dean G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000209:etiology*; D019548:Crime Victims; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult