The affective pathology in patients with adolescent bulimia nervosa

Abstract

Objective. To investigate affective pathology in patients with adolescent bulimia nervosa (BN) and to analyze comorbid mutual influences of these clinical entities. Material and methods. A sample consisted of 52 young female patients, aged from 13.9 to 17.4 years, who simultaneously meet ICD-10 criteria of F50.2 — typical BN and F30—F39 — mood disorders. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the Beck Depression Inventory were used for psychometric assessment. Duration of follow-up ranged from 1 to 7 years. Results and conclusion. The common forms of affective disorders comorbid with adolescent BN were dysthymia and bipolar affective disorder (BAD) type II. Less often BN manifested in association with psychogenic endoform depressions. And the less typical was comorbidity of BN with endogenous recurrent unipolar depression. The normalization of mood and transition depression to hypomania contributed to the remission of eating disorders. Worst clinical and social outcome was detected in patients with long-term persistent hypothymia caused by dysthymia or protracted depressive episodes of recurrent depressive disorder. A more favorable outcome was seen in patients with alternation of depression and hypomania in the structure of the BAD type II and the best outcome in patients with single episode of psychogenic endoform depression.