The validity of the DSM-IV scheme for classifying bulimic eating disorders

✍ Scribed by Hay, Phillipa ;Fairburn, Christopher

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 39 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0276-3478
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(199801)23:1<7::aid-eat2>3.0.co;2-q

✦ Synopsis

Objective: This study was designed to assess the validity of the DSM-IV scheme for classifying recurrent binge eating. Method: A general population sample of 250 young women with recurrent binge eating was recruited using a two-stage design. Information on their eating habits and associated psychopathology was obtained by personal interviews. Subjects were reassessed 1 year later. Results: The diagnosis of bulimia nervosa had good descriptive and predictive validity. On present state features it was not possible to distinguish binge-eating disorder from the nonpurging subtype of bulimia nervosa. However, these groups differed in their outcome at 1 year. Within eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS), there was a subgroup of subjects with milder symptoms which were relatively unstable over time. Discussion: The findings suggest that bulimic eating disorders exist on a continuum of clinical severity, from bulimia nervosa purging type (most severe), through bulimia nervosa nonpurging type (intermediate severity), to binge-eating disorder (least severe). The data on outcome support retaining a distinction between nonpurging bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.