Citation

Favaro A, Santonastaso P, Monteleone P, Bellodi L, Mauri M, Rotondo A, Erzegovesi S, Maj M. J. Affect. Disord. 2007; 105(1-3): 285-289.

Affiliation

Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2007.05.010

PMID

17568684

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Few studies, to date, have investigated the relationship between self-damaging behavior and the presence of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses in eating disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the axis I and II comorbidity in subjects with bulimia nervosa who report self-injurious behavior and/or suicide attempt. METHODS: The subjects were 95 patients with purging type bulimia nervosa who underwent a clinical evaluation assessing the presence of self-injurious behavior and suicide attempts, comorbidity for axis I and II psychiatric disorders and temperament. RESULTS: No axis I diagnosis was associated with any type of self-injurious behavior, whereas social phobia and bipolar disorder were linked to attempted suicide. Significant independent predictors of impulsive self-injurious behavior were the presence of childhood sexual abuse, high harm avoidance scores, and high self-transcendence scores, whereas childhood sexual abuse, the presence of a cluster B personality disorder, and a low self-directedness were predictors of suicide attempts. Compulsive self-injurious behavior was significantly associated with harm avoidance and cluster C personality disorders. Harm avoidance was also associated with skin picking. CONCLUSIONS: Personality disorders are a frequent correlate of the presence of SIB in purging bulimia nervosa. However, temperament seems to play a more important role. Further studies on larger samples are necessary to confirm our findings in bulimia nervosa and to extend them to other patient populations.

Language: en