Interactional coping strategies of normal-weight bulimic women in intimate and nonintimate stressful situations.

Coping strategies of bulimic women in intimate and nonintimate stressful situations were assessed using the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. Compared to a group of 30 women who exercised frequently, the 28 bulimic women felt a greater sense of threat and made greater use of escape-avoidant coping in both types of situations although the groups did not appraise the situations differently. Findings were discussed in terms of behavioral and interactional explanations of symptom maintenance in bulimia.